


if the stars align

by tinyyy



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Chance Meetings, Fate & Destiny, Infidelity, M/M, Mild Smut, Romance, Soulmates vs Destiny, Tragic Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:30:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinyyy/pseuds/tinyyy
Summary: Kyungsoo and Chanyeol are soulmates. And yet there’s this magnetizing force that pulls Kyungsoo towards a certain redhead named Byun Baekhyun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> originally written for [sncj-santa](http://sncj-santa.livejournal.com/) 2016! this whole fic runs on the whole soulmate versus destiny concept and is just generally a bit stressful if you can't handle angst quite well. if you do decide to read it, it'd be very awesome and i'd be grateful because this is the longest thing i've written so far! enjoy ;)

“So, get this. That guy over there? That’s Oh Sehun from our Fashion Department.” Jongdae tilts his head to his left where a man has his head laid down on a table, his hair dangerously close to the grill sizzling with meat. Beside Oh Sehun is a girl staring at him with hooded eyes, consoling him with a few pats on his back. “He met his destiny, all the way in China, when we had a company trip last week.” 

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow, skeptical, as he flips the meat on the grill. The meat sizzles, and there’s the sound of glass clinking from around them. Kyungsoo looks over the table to his right. He lets his gaze linger a bit longer at Oh Sehun, who seems like he has no will to move at all. “I thought this Sehun guy has been together with that dancer for a while now.” 

Jongdae gulps down cold tea before exhaling. “That’s his soulmate. The one in China is his destiny, apparently.” He explains, his elbow on the table, a palm cradling his face. His eyes glaze over the sizzling meat on their grill as he adds more pieces of garlic. “Now he’s sulking because he’s conflicted. He even dragged Soojung out to drink.”

The bell rings, and a few businessmen enter the place. Kyungsoo and Jongdae frequents this restaurant for the scrumptious sampygupsal and bulgogi, even when the place gets filled with shady men in suits as it gets deeper into the night. (“Stop looking at them, they’re probably mafias.” Jongdae faux-whispers every single time.) The table near theirs gets emptied out as a large family leaves the premise, and the businessmen sit themselves on the now empty chairs.

Kyungsoo sighs and places the grilled pork belly pieces on Jongdae’s plate. He opens his mouth to say “eat up”, but Jongdae’s craning his head, looking somewhere far, surveying the place. Kyungsoo exhales, a bit fondly, and just adds more meat to his friend’s plate. “Stop looking. It’ll find you.” Deep down within himself, Kyungsoo had always believed in fate and that things are meant to happen in due time. He believes that his friend will meet his other half soon enough, and that he doesn’t need to look for them. It just happens.

Jongdae flinches slightly, and snaps his head to look back at Kyungsoo. He grins sheepishly, the ends of his kittenish lips turning upwards. “Like how Chanyeol found you?” He teases, reaching across the table to grab a piece of lettuce.

“Shut up,” Kyungsoo retorts. His cheeks suddenly feel warm, and he blames it on the incompetent smoke suckers that dangle on top of each table, or maybe the faulty air conditioning. 

“You shut up, you’re lucky.” There’s a mischievous glint in Jongdae’s eyes, but it disappears all too quickly. “When will I ever meet my other half?” He whines tiredly through pouted lips. He reaches forward to feed Kyungsoo a lettuce wrap, his hand hovering close to the younger boy’s lips.

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows meet. “That’s too big,” He complains, face scrunching just a bit, but opens his mouth anyway.

 

It starts to rain when Kyungsoo gets off of the bus. He mentally berates himself for not bringing his car with him today as he avoids the puddles on the sidewalk during his long walk home. A cold wind blows quite harshly, tipping the umbrella in his grip sideways. He exhales tiredly.

After battling with the harsh winds and the uncomfortable feeling of slightly wet jeans for eight minutes, he arrives at his apartment. The lights are on and there’s a body flopped down on the couch quite carelessly, its limbs hanging off the small space. 

Kyungsoo kicks off his shoes, puts down his bag, and pads to the living room quietly, careful not to make a sound with his footsteps. He flops himself on top of the lanky guy on his couch.

A groan resounds below Kyungsoo’s body.

“Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo says, and he suddenly feels giddy. “I’m home.” He purrs into his other half’s ear.

Chanyeol shifts his body under the weight of Kyungsoo’s own. “Leave me alone,” He whines, and thrashes his limbs. He tries to get Kyungsoo off of him, but the younger boy puts up a fight. Chanyeol’s shoulders shake as he tries to keep in a chuckle, and Kyungsoo uses his full force to pin him down the couch. 

They fall off the couch in the end, and then they’re a mess of limbs on the floor. Chanyeol’s complaining about broken bones, and Kyungsoo’s just laughing at him with sparkling eyes. 

Kyungsoo sits up, leaning back on the leg of the couch, and Chanyeol follows. Kyungsoo feels a head on his shoulder and arms snaking their way around his waist. He relaxes into the touch and lets Chanyeol cling onto him. Chanyeol shifts closer, like an overly huge puppy snuggling against him. He exhales, tiredly, and Kyungsoo can feel it. Kyungsoo instantly knows. 

“Tough day?” Kyungsoo asks, even if he already knows the answer. He feels a sense of fatigue that doesn’t belong to himself, and he already knows that Chanyeol’s tired from a long day at work.

Chanyeol hums in reply. “Can I stay the night?” 

“Do you even need to ask?”

“I don’t think I have any more boxers left here.” Chanyeol reasons out, removing his head from Kyungsoo’s shoulder to look at his soulmate in the face.

Kyungsoo blinks at Chanyeol, his face remaining blank. His lips twitch, barely forming the smallest smile. “Then don’t wear boxers. It’s that simple.” 

Chanyeol looks like he’s convulsing, but he’s just laughing and flopping himself on Kyungsoo’s lap. Kyungsoo should feel stuffy and gross since he’s still wearing his coat and the ends of his jeans are wet – but it doesn’t matter. Kyungsoo is at ease, and he is content. It has always been this easy with Chanyeol; it should always be this easy with your other half. 

That’s the whole reason why they’ve been stuck with the whole predisposition of having that instant realization and epiphany upon meeting your soulmate, upon meeting the other half that completes you. It makes things a lot easier. For some, it only takes a single look – an eye contact, or even a glimpse through the peripheral vision. Though for others, it takes physical touch – a hand on one’s arm, an accidental brush of fingers, or the bump of shoulders.

Chanyeol had always believed that Kyungsoo is both his soulmate _and_ his destiny. For others, for people like Oh Sehun or even Kyungsoo’s parents, their soulmate is different from their destiny. So, in some aspect, it also makes things a little bit complicated. 

But then Kyungsoo sees the smile on Chanyeol’s face, and a tiny part of him wants to believe that it’s not complicated, that he’s looking at his destiny, too.

 

» » »

 

To say that Kyungsoo’s having a bad day is an offending understatement, and the twenty-minute drive to his apartment is taking up what’s left of his patience. Kyungsoo just wants to get home. With his hand gripping the steering wheel, he squints at the red stoplight in front him and flicks his gaze to the bus stop nearby. The ad on the bus stop reminds of him of the problematic client who put up a fight with their whole team (regarding ad placements) so Kyungsoo had to rush their media plan and had to cancel lunch with Jongdae. It kind of bummed him out, but he still had dinner with Chanyeol to look forward to – if only Chanyeol hadn’t cancelled on him a while ago.

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
have to cancel dinner, going crazy from the amount of work (╥﹏╥) i know you’re also going thru a tough day PLS CHEER UP I LOVE U

And Kyungsoo understands because he is a mature adult who rationally understands the heavy workload of his other half. So he just drives straight home after work, and tries not to get mad at the stoplights that seem to turn red just for him.

What Kyungsoo does not understand is how he comes home to an almost empty fridge upon arriving at his apartment. Chanyeol must’ve been stress eating during his recent stay. Kyungsoo still understands – really, he does. He has seen his other half stuff his face with five burgers in one sitting; he knows Chanyeol’s appetite when his stress levels are on high. But in all honesty, Kyungsoo is tired. He’s had a long day. He’s too tired to cook something for himself so he decides, in that exact moment when he’s staring at a sad container of leftover kimchi inside the fridge, that he will just buy bread at the nearby bakery. Loads of bread to stuff his face with, loads of croissants and cream pastries to make him slightly happier. It’ll be a quick trip to the bakery nearby.

 

It rains, heavily, while Kyungsoo is walking to the bakery. He doesn’t have an umbrella, has opted not to bring one before leaving his apartment since it’s barely a five-minute walk. It was a wrong decision.

“I fucking hate this day,” He curses under his breath, not caring about the mother and child who are giving him weird looks as he passes by with his wet hair, his wet coat, his wet shoes, and his wet everything. 

 

Kyungsoo’s paying for the pastries he picked and trying not to shiver under the layers of his damp clothes. He avoids eye contact with the cashier because he feels an oncoming question of “Are you okay, sir?” from the concerned employee, to which he will probably answer a meek “I’m fine.” to. Which is a sad, sad lie. 

He successfully gets out of the bakery without any awkward conversation from any of the staff. It’s still raining heavily, the drops pounding harshly against the forming puddles on the ground. Kyungsoo is balancing his weight on the heels of his feet while blinking at the downpour – should he wait for it to stop or should he just make a run for it? He hears a giggle of a small girl to his side, making him turn his head. Beside him is a man, just about his height, waving goodbye to the child that Kyungsoo saw earlier on his way to the bakery. The mother bows her head goodbye as she walks off with her child under a huge umbrella, her eyes glancing at Kyungsoo before turning around completely. Kyungsoo gulps, steps to side as he shies away from the attention. 

Under the roof of the bakery, Kyungsoo sets enough distance between him and the man, but he doesn’t stop staring at him. It must be because of the stranger’s unkempt fiery red hair, or the way he’s staring back at Kyungsoo with so much intensity. Kyungsoo almost shudders, a strange feeling slowly creeping up on him.

“Need an umbrella?” He suddenly asks, his lips curved into an all too friendly smile. The stranger steps closer, but doesn’t step over the line that Kyungsoo has drawn in his mind. “I’m willing to share, if you don’t mind.”

Kyungsoo’s gaze flits back and forth from the heavy rain to the umbrella in the stranger’s hand. Kyungsoo looks him in the eye. “My place is only five minutes away. I’m good,” He answers politely as the rain evidently gets heavier. “I think,” He adds, and almost cringes at the uncertainty punctuating his voice.

The stranger smiles at him, his teeth shining under the luminescence of the lights outside the bakery, and it’s too bright for the gloomy weather of the night. He opens the umbrella, and steps closer to Kyungsoo. The smile on his face is unwavering, and his crescent eyes are full of curiosity. “Come on. I don’t mind.”

There must be something wrong with Kyungsoo’s hearing because the stranger’s voice sounds so inviting. There must be something wrong with Kyungsoo because he’s stepping under the umbrella and muttering a quiet “thanks” under his breath. 

Kyungsoo leads the way, huddling close to the redhead under the umbrella. The raindrops are violently crashing against the surface of the umbrella, and Kyungsoo’s shoulder gets wet. “Are you from around here?” Kyungsoo attempts for an awkward conversation as he slightly nudges the stranger to turn left.

The stranger looks at him, a faint smile on his lips. “Yeah, near Eonju-ro,” He answers, and Kyungsoo feels something electrifying when their shoulders bump. 

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows meet. “That’s a few streets away,” He says, and tugs at his coat to close it around himself further. If he’s not mistaken, Paris Baguette has a branch along Eunju-ro too. And there are a lot more bakeries, as well as cafes there. “What brings you all the way here?” Kyungsoo asks him, genuinely curious of the reason why this stranger walked all the way to the branch near his place.

He seems taken aback, eyebrows raising at the question. The stranger looks at him and, for a mere split-second, it’s as if something sparks in between them. “The branch near my place didn’t have strawberry pastry bites,” He answers, and raises the paper bag in his hand. The bag’s beginning to get soaked from the rain. “I _really_ wanted the strawberry ones, for some reason,” He explains further, the energy inside of him showing through the way he speaks.

“Oh, alright.” Kyungsoo blinks at him before looking back at his feet. His shoes are soaked, but he feels some kind of peace by seeing how in sync their walks are, two pairs of feet splashing through thin puddles. Just a few more steps, and they’re almost at Kyungsoo’s place. Kyungsoo wants to get home; he can’t put up with the weird, electrifying feeling that seems to bother him whenever their shoulders brush or their eyes meet.

Kyungsoo stops walking just in front of his place. The redhead stranger raises his eyebrows yet again, and cranes his head to look at the building. “We’re here?”

Kyungsoo nods in reply. “Thank you.” He bows slightly. He should turn away and go inside the building, but there’s something drawing him in and making him freeze on the spot. It’s weird, because if he were in his right mind he would have hurriedly bid his goodbye, or maybe he would have rejected the whole umbrella offer in the first place.

“I’m Baekhyun.” The stranger suddenly introduces himself, offering him a tight-lipped smile, eyes turning into crescents.

Kyungsoo’s breath hitches at how Baekhyun feels so close in their shared space under the umbrella, almost suffocating, and he tries his best to not let it show. “I’m Kyungsoo.” His own name feels weird on his tongue, and he hears reluctance in his own voice.

Baekhyun doesn’t move an inch either, just staring at Kyungsoo. They’re on a standstill, under the pouring rain and the dim streetlights.

“See you around.” Kyungsoo breathes out, bidding his goodbye. He finally turns away from Baekhyun, even if there’s some sort of force that makes him want to be with Baekhyun a little bit longer.

“I have a feeling I will,” Baekhyun replies as Kyungsoo sprints to his building, the paper bag of pastries getting wet from the rain. Kyungsoo doesn’t look back at him, doesn’t want to. Anxiety is slowly eating up his system as the strange feeling lodges itself in his gut, and Kyungsoo doesn’t want to find out what that feeling is. He should always bring an umbrella from now on.

 

» » »

 

Kyungsoo finally realizes that he definitely is having a weird day the moment he steps out of the drugstore. His sudden urge to restock on his home medicine the moment he got home was definitely strange, and the feeling of being stuck just right in front of the drug store was even stranger. After exiting the place, a sudden feeling just came over him – he’s supposed to go home, but there’s this force that keeps him glued into place.

Kyungsoo also feels as if someone is watching him. So he turns his head to look behind him, and there he is, walking towards Kyungsoo.

“It’s you,” Baekhyun says as a greeting, his wide eyes showing some sort of mild surprise. He’s carrying a plastic bag filled with cans of drinks from a convenience store as he strides towards Kyungsoo.

“Baekhyun-ssi,” Kyungsoo replies, and marvels at the unfamiliar feeling of Baekhyun’s name on his tongue. An angry thunder suddenly roars from the background, and the skies become darker than they were. Kyungsoo tightens his grip on the umbrella in his hand.

“Told you we’d see each other again,” Baekhyun tells him airily, after recovering from his suppressed shock due to the thunder.

Kyungsoo breathes in heavily, trying his best to not over-analyze the curve of Baekhyun’s lips and the glint in his eyes. 

“You brought an umbrella this time.” 

A harsh wind blows, disheveling Baekhyun’s red hair and making it look like some sort of wild flame fighting against the wind. “Yeah, it’s been raining a lot recently,” Kyungsoo replies, and, as if on cue, it starts to drizzle. He almost chuckles, if he could only find the air to breathe out a small laugh. There’s plenty of space between them, but it’s weirdly suffocating.

“Mind sharing it with me?” Baekhyun tilts his head to one side, his smile transforming into a shy one. 

There’s a reminder at the back of Kyungsoo’s head and it’s telling him that Baekhyun is just a stranger he met yesterday. A stranger who just happened to have an umbrella last evening when Kyungsoo needed one. Besides, it isn’t even raining that hard and Baekhyun is wearing a hoodie. Except Kyungsoo’s already opening the umbrella and stepping closer to Baekhyun. “Where do you live?” He asks too soon.

Baekhyun gives him a smile and inches closer, letting their shoulders bump. “Can we get coffee first? It’ll be quick, I promise.” He shyly asks as he invades Kyungsoo’s space, huddling a bit too close. 

Kyungsoo sighs. “Sure.” He stops inching away from Baekhyun and lets their shoulders bump as they walk.

 

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
what’s the diff between the 2 containers of kimchi in ur fridge? which one should i eat? (๑•﹏•)

Kyungsoo blinks at Chanyeol’s text. The smell of fresh coffee and the rhythmic tapping of raindrops against the window next to him occupy his senses fully. It relaxes Kyungsoo, eases him of the evident tension he felt during his walk with Baekhyun. He breathes, before writing a reply to Chanyeol’s message. 

Slender fingers suddenly slide a warm cup of coffee to his side, and Kyungsoo looks up to see Baekhyun biting his lip. Kyungsoo blinks at him before hitting the send button on his phone. Baekhyun smiles at him, hesitancy evident in the way he chews his lower lip, and seats himself across Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo raises both of his eyebrows at Baekhyun, his eyes questioning the fidgety redhead in front of him.

Baekhyun mimics him, raising his eyebrows in reply and cheeks rising as he smiles. He clears his throat. “You looked like an Americano type of guy.” Baekhyun explains, resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward.

“I prefer it iced though.”

“Ah, sorry.” Baekhyun exhales, his lips perpetually curled up into a smile. There’s a hint of amusement in Baekhyun’s eyes, and Kyungsoo straightens his back against his seat. “Maybe you can give me your number so I can treat you to the right kind of coffee next time.” He smoothly offers and punctuates it with a chuckle.

 _I have a soulmate_ , Kyungsoo wants to say. Kyungsoo takes a sip of the warm drink before replying. “Maybe next time when we meet.” He says instead, because he wants to test it out. Because maybe he’s pushing the possibilities and all the theories to the back of his mind, and he’s giving fate a chance to prove something to him for the very last time. Maybe he’ll start to believe, and fully accept, the magnetizing feeling he’s been noticing the next time they meet.

Baekhyun blinks at him, and grins. He taps his fingers on the table, exhaling loudly. “It stopped raining,” He comments before taking a sip of his own drink.

“You better get going before it rains again.”

Baekhyun nods in reply, and pushes his chair back to stand. “Nice meeting you again, Kyungsoo.” He bids his goodbye as Kyungsoo readies himself to leave the café too.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him.

“ _Kyungsoo-ssi_ ,” Baekhyun corrects himself, and nudges Kyungsoo playfully. “Thank you.” He adds, his gaze softening.

 

» » »

 

Kyungsoo tugs at his coat to wrap it around himself tighter and squints his eyes through the cold breeze. The clock on his phone tells him that it’s a quarter before 12 noon and reminds him that he’s been standing outside the building of Arena Magazine for about fifteen minutes now. He shivers, slightly, and makes a mental note to bring a scarf tomorrow. He leans on the wall by the glass doors, careful not to make eye contact with the security guard nearby, and hastily types a message on his phone.

 **to:** jongdae  
make me wait five more minutes and you’re dead.

 **from:** jongdae  
hoLD ON I’M TALKING TO THE EIC HUHUHU THIS’LL BE QUICK PLEASE LOVE ME!!!!

The tired sigh that’s about to leave his lips transforms into an ugly cough and Kyungsoo almost _chokes_ because a certain someone with fiery red hair is exiting through the glass doors. 

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo calls him, his mind unable to filter his mouth. Before he could take it back, or maybe make a run for it, Baekhyun’s turning to face him and looking at him with surprise plastered on his face. Kyungsoo really wants to run back to his own office just a few blocks away and maybe hide there forever while he blames Jongdae for everything.

“Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun replies, a recognizable playful glint in his eyes, and gives a smile. He tilts his head to his companion – a guy of almost the same height with intimidating feline eyes – to go on ahead. 

Baekhyun saunters over to where Kyungsoo is, choosing to invade his personal space yet again. “What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo asks, reminding himself to not hold his breath whenever Baekhyun shifts closer.

“Uh, work.”

Kyungsoo feels his eyes go a bit wider. “You work here? Arena Magazine?”

“No, we just visited Arena Magazine.” Baekhyun’s a bit jittery than usual, and Kyungsoo’s just waiting for him to stand still for at least five seconds. “I work for an ad agency.”

“Oh.” Kyungsoo remarks, and something clicks in his head. Maybe the whole reason why he feels so drawn to Baekhyun is because they’re in the same line of work. Maybe that’s just it. He wants to convince himself that, but then Baekhyun’s smile goes wider as he nudges Kyungsoo all too gently.

“Didn’t we promise each other something?” Baekhyun’s eyebrows are raised, a dark contrast to his dyed hair. 

“What?”

“Your number, Kyungsoo.”

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow.

“I won’t pester you.” The words that come out of Baekhyun’s mouth are laced with practiced persuasion, as if he’s done this a thousand times already. “I’ll just buy you coffee.” And Kyungsoo almost gives in instantly, because it does sound like the best deal he’s ever heard. But with how Baekhyun’s leaning too close for comfort, it makes it seem like he’s trapping Kyungsoo instead. So Kyungsoo re-thinks and re-evaluates for about a few seconds more.

“Give me your phone.” Kyungsoo sighs, giving in, but he still searches for escape routes out of the encompassing cage that Baekhyun seems to emanate with his stance: face too close to Kyungsoo’s own, breathing in the same air, and a posture too confident. Kyungsoo’s fingers tap the screen of Baekhyun’s phone.

There’s a shit-eating grin on Baekhyun’s face, and Kyungsoo knows it all too well. In their field, it’s when you’ve won a pitch. It’s when you’ve made a client agree to your ideas, when you finally beat the unforgiving deadline, when you finally get what you’ve been fighting for.

Baekhyun clears his throat. “Don’t be startled when I call–”

“I have soulmate,” Kyungsoo interrupts him, all too suddenly, because he doesn’t want Baekhyun to win just yet. He saves his number under _Do Kyungsoo_.

The glint in Baekhyun’s crescent eyes dim for the slightest moment, and he leans back a few inches away from Kyungsoo. “What?”

“My other half,” Kyungsoo repeats, his gaze unrelenting as he maps out the surge of emotions on Baekhyun’s face. He extends a hand in the space between them, giving back Baekhyun’s phone.

Baekhyun just stares, and for the first time, he looks like he has no idea what to do or say. His mouth is gaping for a few seconds before he does his best to recover. He straightens his back and finally takes his phone back.

The glass doors open, and then there’s Jongdae running towards Kyungsoo in a hurry. He’s heaving for breath, unable to utter a greeting, when he arrives at Kyungsoo’s side, and is at loss for words as he looks from Baekhyun to Kyungsoo. His eyebrows are raised in a silent question, so Kyungsoo introduces his friend.

“This is Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo says casually, and tilts his head. 

“Right,” Jongdae answers after a few blinks, and extends his hand towards Baekhyun for a handshake. “I think I saw you at the office a while ago. I’m Jongdae.” He smiles, all formal and friendly.

“Nice to meet you.” Baekhyun grins back, reverting back to the practiced smiles and confident stance that Kyungsoo just crumbled a while ago.

“You’re joining us for lunch?” Jongdae asks, ever so friendly and so kind. Kyungsoo finds himself gulping and sending a panicked stare towards Jongdae in what he hopes is in a subtle manner.

“I actually have to get back to my office.” Baekhyun grimaces, and then he flicks his gaze to Kyungsoo. “Maybe next time.” 

Kyungsoo just nods, ready to bid goodbye to Baekhyun. “Text me beforehand if you’re gonna call,” He says, challenges, as Baekhyun is about to turn and leave. Kyungsoo puts up borders in between them – formalities and proper etiquette for newly formed acquaintances. But then it’s as if he’s built the foundation a bit too weak, because it crumbles with the slightest curve of Baekhyun’s smile and the electric buzz he feels with every locked gaze.

“I will.” Baekhyun answers like it’s a promise. 

 

“What the hell was that a while ago?” Jongdae demands for an answer as they wait by a pedestrian crossing. His eyebrows are knitted together in confusion. Kyungsoo knows what his friend is talking about. Kyungsoo knows that Jongdae’s talking about the subtexts in Kyungsoo’s words and the heavy dose of intense eye contact that almost seems ridiculous.

“I have no idea.” Kyungsoo answers, and crosses the road, tugging Jongdae by the sleeve of his jacket. 

 

» » »

 

“I thought you had a lot of work to do,” Kyungsoo says, busying himself with the dishes in the sink and ignoring the weight of Chanyeol’s head on his shoulder. The taller guy clings onto him, hugging him from the back.

“I do.” Chanyeol’s voice sends vibrations onto Kyungsoo’s shoulder and a small smile on Kyungsoo’s lips.

Then Chanyeol makes a mess, literally, and it just happens all too fast. Chanyeol suddenly gets a handful of soap suds from the sink and just splashes it onto Kyungsoo. There is a grin on Chanyeol’s face and soap suds on the tiled kitchen floor and on one side of Kyungsoo’s face.

Kyungsoo doesn’t even say anything, he just retaliates by aiming for a kick on Chanyeol’s shin. He unfortunately misses, so he just attacks his lanky other half yet again – who’s notably good at avoiding. Kyungsoo just really wants to clean off the side of his face and silence the annoying laughter coming out of Chanyeol’s mouth. So he does. 

Kyungsoo’s gloved hand reaches for Chanyeol’s sweater, gripping the fabric, and pulls the taller guy closer. Chanyeol almost slips, his slippers stepping onto the soapy mess on the floor, but he regains his balance as Kyungsoo holds him, pulls him too close. Kyungsoo goes in for a kiss, because Chanyeol’s laughter is just so irritating. 

Chanyeol melts into the kiss, tilting his head and gently biting Kyungsoo’s lower lip. He starts pulling Kyungsoo closer than they already are with his hand on the shorter guy’s back, snaking underneath his oversized shirt. 

There’s a shiver up Kyungsoo’s spine as he tries to muffle his moan with Chanyeol’s lips on his own. Kyungsoo feels a hand sliding on his back, Chanyeol’s fingers gently grazing his skin as they flitter downwards and hook themselves on the waistband of his shorts.

The fabric of Chanyeol’s sweater is damp and probably smells like dishwashing soap, with Kyungsoo’s gloved hands tugging at the piece of clothing. Chanyeol clumsily guides Kyungsoo backwards until he’s caging the smaller guy against the counter. He drowns out the noises from Kyungsoo’s mouth as his lips brush against Kyungsoo’s own.

But Kyungsoo stops the kiss all too soon, and he takes a moment to just look at Chanyeol’s face, his disheveled hair, and his flushed cheeks. He breathes, feeling the heat in his own cheeks. Kyungsoo’s suddenly hyperaware of the residue of Chanyeol’s touch, missing the fleeting, almost burning, warmth of Chanyeol’s hands on his skin.

Chanyeol’s staring back at him with a stupid smile on his face. 

“Missed you,” Chanyeol tells him, too endearingly.

Kyungsoo smiles back with a fluttery feeling in his stomach. “I missed you, too.” His heart feels an all too familiar feeling – his heart feels whole.

 

The warm tone of the sunset filters through the gaps of the blinds on the windows, basking Chanyeol in shades of oranges and pinks as he snores on the sofa bed. He’s knocked out all too soon after showering quickly, and is drooling on one of Kyungsoo’s pillows. He really must be tired from all the work he’s been doing for the animation studio.

Kyungsoo is just staring at the sleeping giant in his living room, wondering why the universe decided that a lanky, overly cheerful guy is the missing piece that fits perfectly into his life. A buzz inside the pocket of his shorts interrupts his thoughts. He feels his breath hitch as he looks at a text from an unknown number.

 **from:** unknown  
kyungsoo-ssi, when were u born?

Kyungsoo can practically hear the lilt of Baekhyun’s voice whenever he says Kyungsoo’s name so formally. He exhales as he types out a short “why?” as a reply.

A few seconds after he hits send, his phone is ringing with a call. He slides over to the balcony, gently closing the door behind him, careful not to wake Chanyeol up. Kyungsoo heaves a breath before picking up the call and placing the phone close to his ear.

“Kyungsoo-ssi?” There it is. Baekhyun’s voice, and the weirdly alluring rise and fall of the syllables of his name. 

“January 12, 1993,” Kyungsoo answers, short and curt.

“Oh, so it’s just Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun says, voice clear through the static. “I’m older by only a few months, so no need for formalities here.”

“Why did you call?” Kyungsoo breathes out, carefully, and he stares at the clusters of buildings against the setting sun. 

“Because,” Baekhyun starts, but is interrupted by some sort of signal disturbance. “Your voice.” 

“Sorry, what?” Kyungsoo clarifies. “What about my voice?”

“Nothing. It’s _nice_.” The sound of Baekhyun’s answer is too sweet, too saccharine for Kyungsoo to take in. 

He’s at a loss for words, and he’s reminded of why he hates calls in the first place and why he would always prefer to communicate with clients through e-mail. What’s worse is that Baekhyun puts him on the spot, making his heart beat against his rib cage a bit faster with anxiety. 

“When did you meet your other half?” Baekhyun suddenly asks, swerving off course with his abrupt question. 

Kyungsoo clears his throat, finding his voice. “During college.” He answers, and he cranes his head to look at a snoring Chanyeol through the glass door. There’s a slight pang in his chest, and he tries to dismiss the feeling by looking back at the layers of concrete and steel buildings lining up the city.

“You’ve been together since then?”

“Yes,” Kyungsoo replies politely. He leans back on the railing of his tiny balcony, facing the side of the city where Eonju-ro is – where Baekhyun probably is at the very moment. “Why are you asking?”

“Nothing.” Kyungsoo hears a shrug in Baekhyun’s voice, and sees the redhead’s expression of nonchalance in his mind. “You’re just lucky.” Baekhyun adds, breathing into the call a bit too loudly.

“Why did you call?” Kyungsoo asks for the second time.

There is a pause. The sunset feels warm on Kyungsoo’s cheeks, mixing with the cold and gentle breeze that sweeps by. “You already asked that and I already answered.”

“Really?” Kyungsoo inhales, and unconsciously holds his breath.

Baekhyun exhales. “I don’t think you’re ready to hear my other answer.”

“Why not?” Kyungsoo pushes for an answer that he already knows, maybe because he just wants to hear it and just wants Baekhyun to say it himself.

Kyungsoo knows what this is, he knows what this whole thing with Baekhyun is, and it’s not right. He knows that Baekhyun is aware, and Kyungsoo badly wants him to state the obvious. He knows where this is leading to and it’s overwhelming how the both of them are just being pulled towards each other. 

“I’ll tell you when we meet again.” Baekhyun answers, and doesn’t let Kyungsoo hear what he wants to.


	2. Chapter 2

“If I go back to the studio,” Chanyeol states, one hand cradling his bowl of cereal and a spoon in the other, as he sits cross legged on the sofa. “I have to face the shitload of work I have to do.” His eyes are glazed over, evidently tired even though he had just woken up a few minutes ago. It’s a Saturday, and Chanyeol usually does not have work on weekends, but the studio is calling for everyone; _Hell week_ , Chanyeol whines to Kyungsoo as he retells the piled up list of animations he needs to work on.

Kyungsoo hums in reply, tilting the bowl in his hand to drink what’s left of the milk. “Didn’t you make that ad?” He nods to the television in front of them. It’s currently airing an animated CF promoting baby wipes.

“I was part of the team who did,” Chanyeol replies, shoving large amounts of cereal drenched in milk into his mouth.

Kyungsoo hums in reply. The television transitions into another CF, and Kyungsoo now focuses his attention on Chanyeol’s backpack right next to the coffee table. “Go to work,” Kyungsoo tells him, a bit too authoritatively. He gets up from the sofa, and ruffles the strands of Chanyeol’s hair. “You’ll get through it,” He adds, his voice sounding soft and gentle. He feels ease with the way Chanyeol’s leaning into the touch, and feels himself smiling when he sees a small curve forming on Chanyeol’s lips.

“Thanks,” Chanyeol replies with a yawn, relaxing into the sofa with his breakfast in his hands.

Kyungsoo is already padding to the kitchen to wash his share of dishes when he hears the message tone of his phone. He ignores it. He methodically soaps, rinses, and dries the bowls and mugs – and then someone’s calling him on his phone. “Can you go get that for me?” He yells over to Chanyeol.

The ringing stops. “Missed it!” Chanyeol yells back.

After wiping his hands dry, Kyungsoo walks back to the living room and takes his phone from Chanyeol’s extended hand. Something seems odd, like there’s a weird feeling in his gut that he can’t quite figure out.

“It’s Baekhyun?” Chanyeol informs him, wide eyes blinking at him with blatant curiosity.

It’s as if his stomach drops and he’s suddenly placed under a harsh, blinding spotlight. Kyungsoo tries not to pause for too long and doesn’t let his anxiety take over because he knows that Chanyeol will actually sense it. “New friend–”

“Oh my god, congratulations!” 

“–who lives a few blocks away.” Kyungsoo trails off the end of his sentence slowly, and furrows his eyebrows at Chanyeol in confusion.

“Look at you,” Chanyeol coos, eyes sparkling in amusement as he grins at Kyungsoo proudly. “Finally being all nice and friendly.”

Kyungsoo’s eyebrows are still knitted together as he flops down on the sofa next to Chanyeol. “What does that even mean?” It sounds as if he’s taking offense, but really, he’s just genuinely perplexed with his other half’s reaction. He was honestly expecting a bit more probing and maybe a few more questions.

Chanyeol drapes an arm around him and pulls him closer. “You’re finally _socializing_ with other people, besides Jongdae and your co-employees,” He explains, making himself sound like a proud parent to annoy Kyungsoo further. “I’m proud.” He fake sniffles.

“Shut up.” Kyungsoo elbows him on the side, and hears a deep groan. It’s a known fact that Chanyeol could be oblivious at times, and at this very moment, Kyungsoo isn’t sure if he’s okay with it or not. Chanyeol shouldn’t be okay with this–with Baekhyun–if he only knew. But then Kyungsoo feels it – the weight of Chanyeol’s undeniable trust. Kyungsoo pretends to be annoyed with Chanyeol’s teasing, and kills off the guilt that’s making its way into his system.

 

» » »

 

Kyungsoo finds himself standing outside of his apartment building unable to decide on which branch of Paris Baguette he’ll go to. His mind is currently a mess – the act of dismissing his thoughts, especially the ones regarding a certain redhead, has been becoming a bad habit. Baekhyun has been texting him for days about nothing in particular. All the while Chanyeol is still oblivious and is a hundred percent supportive when it comes to Kyungsoo making new friends. It isn’t a big deal, though. Baekhyun’s texts are just all the basic, normal things that Kyungsoo expects: _are you currently drowning urself in work? how can u even eat cucumbers? didn’t u tell me that u go to bed before midnight? is it weird that i can’t sleep because i’m thinking of you?_ Really, Kyungsoo shouldn’t be bothered and should keep on ignoring the way his feelings get set off course with mere messages from Baekhyun. 

He decides to walk all the way to the Paris Baguette branch along Eonju-ro, just minutes away from Baekhyun’s place. It’s not that Kyungsoo wants to see him, but he just really wants to go for a walk today. For once, there hasn’t been any scattered rains and the weather is actually nice. Kyungsoo thinks that he has enough logical, rational reasons to take a long walk to a different bakery branch.

 

The moment Kyungsoo enters the bakery, he clumsily bumps into someone who’s on their way out and there’s a flicker of spark within him. Kyungsoo recognizes the familiar grey hoodie, the unusually pretty set of hands, and the lips that form a familiar knowing smile.

“Baekhyun,” Kyungsoo greets him, finding a hint of surprise in his voice, even though he mildly expected this to happen. It was bound to. The moment he stepped out of his apartment, his mind was filled with Baekhyun’s name, Bakhyun’s stupid text messages, Baekhyun’s existence – and his impulsive decision to walk to the branch far away from his place was probably a clear warning sign that he decided to brush off.

“Hey,” He greets Kyungsoo, and turns on his heels to face him. “They’re out of strawberry pastry bites, again.” Baekhyun pouts.

Kyungsoo’s gaze flicks to the mop of faded red on Baekhyun’s head, the color turning into something duller, closer to brown now. “Oh, I see,” He remarks, nodding. He then grabs a small tray and plastic tongs. “I was in the area and just wanted to stop by,” He lies, slowly walking around to search for mini croissants. Baekhyun trails behind him.

“I was just about to go to the branch near your place.” 

“We can go together,” Kyungsoo suggests, too quickly, while placing a cream cheese bread on his tray. He sneaks a glance at Baekhyun and catches his raised eyebrows. “If you like.”

“That would be nice,” Baekhyun replies, his tone too velvety and sweet. He hovers closer to Kyungsoo, making their arms brush.

Kyungsoo places the piece of chocolate bread on his tray and removes it, for about three times, before finally deciding that he does not want anything too sweet. His eyes land on the fruit pastry bites that Baekhyun keeps on mentioning, and he decides to try the kiwi ones. He tries his best to not look at Baekhyun, who’s deliberately swaying sideways to bump into Kyungsoo from time to time.

“Mind stopping by to get coffee with me after you’re done picking?” Baekhyun asks. “Then I could walk you home and I’ll go to the branch near your place.”

“Sounds nice.” Kyungsoo answers and almost doesn’t recognize his own voice since it sounds so saccharine.

 

“Sometimes, I’d watch pairs of people and I would guess if they’re soulmates or not. Sometimes, I see people finding their other half. Like, it actually happens right in front of me. I think it’s kind of magical.” Baekhyun tells him, an elbow on the table and a forefinger resting on his lower lip. 

Their drinks on the table are contrasting each other: light and dark, sweet and bitter, a blended cream-based drink with a dozen of sugary add-ons and a plain iced Americano. (Though Baekhyun did add a shot of syrup on Kyungsoo’s drink, without his consent, which kind of ticks Kyungsoo off.)

“It wasn’t _that_ magical for me,” Kyungsoo snorts, and eyes the nauseating amount of whipped cream on top of Baekhyun’s cup.

Baekhyun raises his eyebrows in question. “How did you two figure it out? The whole soulmate thing, the undeniable meeting of halves, and stuff.” He blinks at Kyungsoo, as if he’s a kid who believes in too many fairytales and is waiting for his bedtime story.

Kyungsoo exhales and takes a sip before telling the story to Baekhyun – even if Kyungsoo feels like there’s nothing really special with the way he met Chanyeol.

 

Kyungsoo and Chanyeol never had the same classes. Kyungsoo majored in Media and Communication while Chanyeol majored in Animation. The Art and Design building was actually at the other side of the campus, and wasn’t even near the Liberal Arts building where both Kyungsoo and Jongdae shed tears and procrastinated in. The only common factor they had during that time was that their schedules made them roam around the Konkuk University campus at the same time. Jongdae even noticed Chanyeol first, with his noticeable height and his mildly creepy gaze that always seemed to follow Kyungsoo. 

Kyungsoo was so close to filing a restraining order because this tall, lanky guy would sometimes follow him around. Kyungsoo _avoided_ Chanyeol, and he practically ran away from his other half – because really, it wasn’t as if he was searching for them in the first place. Kyungsoo didn’t feel anything whenever he would glance at Chanyeol – no epiphany, no undeniable connection whatsoever. Kyungsoo would have never known if Chanyeol hadn’t walked up to him one time near the Liberal Arts building and very awkwardly greeted him with a “Hi!” with his voice cracking.

Kyungsoo literally stared at him for about five seconds with furrowed brows before Chanyeol stammered incoherent sounds. “Oh god, you don’t know.” The giant’s habit of voicing his thoughts out loud goes way back. “Okay, maybe I was wrong.”

“What are you talking about?”

“No, nevermind. Sorry,” Chanyeol sheepishly replied before he made a run for it and fled for his life.

“Hey, wait.” But Kyungsoo didn’t let it go, because really, he wanted to know the reason why this tall dude was kind of stalking him – so he caught Chanyeol’s arm with his hand. 

And then that’s when he felt it. There was a subtle click, a sudden awareness of a certain void in his existence he’d never taken notice of before. The void was getting filled, jumpstarted the moment he made physical contact with the tall stranger. It was as if the gaps in his life were completely sewing themselves together and he just felt _complete_ with a simple gesture of catching Chanyeol’s wrist in his hand.

It was only then that Kyungsoo understood why your soulmate is also called your other half.

 

“That’s pretty cute,” Baekhyun comments after Kyungsoo’s storytelling session, fingers grazing his lower lip and eyes glinting with keen interest. “You never really noticed? Or felt it? At all?”

Kyungsoo shrugs in reply. He takes a sip of his drink, tasting the caramel syrup that Baekhyun added to his usual coffee. “I guess I wasn’t really searching for my other half. I never was, which is probably why I couldn’t even sense it,” He explains, realizing that Baekhyun has a habit of placing his pretty fingers on his pretty lips.

“Tell me more about the feeling, when you met Chanyeol.” The way Chanyeol’s name rolls off Baekhyun’s tongue is just all kinds of wrong in Kyungsoo’s ears; his gut is filled with some sense of guilt. Baekhyun is leaning closer across Kyungsoo, elbows on the table, and there’s something about his smirk that’s urging Kyungsoo to answer.

“It’s different from this,” Kyungsoo replies, and raises an eyebrow at Baekhyun’s widening eyes. His grip on his cup of coffee tightens as he holds his breath. 

“This?” Baekhyun asks, his eyebrows raised and his eyes knowing. His feigned ignorance tests Kyungsoo’s patience and challenges Kyungsoo to just push his buttons further.

Kyungsoo lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Chanyeol was _searching_. When we met I felt...” He trails off, flickering his gaze to Baekhyun’s sugary drink across him and looking for the right word. “Complete.” Kyungsoo settles for the most normal, most overused term when it comes to describing the feeling. 

There’s an audible inhale from Baekhyun, and the redhead opens his mouth slightly to say something. No words come out, so he abruptly decides to close it.

“But we weren’t even looking for each other, Baekhyun.” Kyungsoo continues. “I wasn’t searching for you, you probably weren’t expecting to meet me too. But then it just felt like we were being pulled together, as if something was drawing us closer to each other.” The words spill out of Kyungsoo’s mouth, and the feeling of anxiety is slowly rising all the way to his chest. “Or maybe that’s just me,” He adds, adding nonchalance to his tone.

“No, I feel it too,” Baekhyun quickly replies, jolting forward, closing in on the space in between them. His eyes are sparkling with wonder, and Kyungsoo’s noticing the tiny mole above his lip for the very first time. “Or maybe you’re just magnetizing.”

Kyungsoo could close the distance between them; he could kiss that tiny mole above Baekhyun’s lips before leaning in to melt his lips with Baekhyun’s own. If he just leaned a few more inches close and gave in to the force that’s pushing him forward, he could do it so quickly that no one in the café would even notice. He could make a subtle blush fill Baekhyun’s cheeks. But Kyungsoo smiles instead, and snorts at Baekhyun’s word choice.

“Magnetizing,” Kyungsoo repeats with a scoff, his eyes squinting.

Baekhyun scoffs, and raises his eyebrows at Kyungsoo. “What? What’s wrong with that?”

“Who even uses that word–”

“I do,” Baekhyun retorts in defense, smiling playfully. “What’s your problem, Do Kyungsoo?”

The anxiety fades away, only to be replaced by an easy chuckle escaping his lips. Kyungsoo’s shoulders relax, and he mirrors Baekhyun’s position, letting his arms rest on the table. “Nothing, Byun.” He answers, tone a bit mocking.

Baekhyun holds his gaze for a while, teeth biting his lower lip. He then looks down, and nudges Kyungsoo’s fingers on the table with his own. His hands are right next to Kyungsoo’s, fingers tapping the table and grazing the sides of Kyungsoo’s hands. “What if we’re meant to be?” Baekhyun asks, eyes still focused on their hands on the table. 

Kyungsoo inhales as Baekhyun cradles Kyungsoo’s hand in his own, the touch so sudden yet so gentle. Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun in the eye and he gulps. “Then it would be very complicated.”

Baekhyun blinks once, twice, and he smiles. There’s an unsaid challenge with the way he’s gazing at Kyungsoo and with the way he laces his fingers with Kyungsoo’s own in one swift movement. 

“I like complicated,” Baekhyun tells him through his smile. 

 

» » »

 

Baekhyun doesn’t even try and Kyungsoo won’t even bother to avoid it anymore – they would always meet. Kyungsoo would run into Baekhyun inside coffee shops in Apgujeong, in bakeries with really good fruit pastries, and even in the mini markets where they’d see each other in the gaps of the aisles. At one point, Kyungsoo realizes that he’s used to it. He’s used to the force that would suddenly pull him out of his apartment and make him walk a few blocks just to get coffee, or that sudden urge to visit that one shop near Eonju-ro. Kyungsoo expects Baekhyun’s sickeningly sweet texts, Baekhyun’s late night calls, Baekhyun’s sudden presence. What he doesn’t expect is the feeling of guilt piling up in his chest whenever he meets Chanyeol, whenever he’d drop by Gwangjin-gu to visit Chanyeol’s place or whenever his other half decides to stay a few days in his apartment. 

Another thing that Kyungsoo doesn’t expect is Baekhyun’s call at 10AM on a Sunday morning. 

“Kyungsoo, I’ve got a problem,” Baekhyun breathes onto the receiver, the static buzzing harshly against Kyungsoo’s ears. 

“Hm?” Kyungsoo mumbles, still half-asleep and tangled under the covers of his bed.

“Listen, I need you to come over so you can see what the huge problem is,” Baekhyun hastily explains, a tinge of panic in his voice. “Also, I might have to ask you for a huge favor too.” The urgency in his voice wakes Kyungsoo up.

“I’ll be there in half an hour.” Kyungsoo breathes deeply with his eyes closed, taking in all the madness of Byun Baekhyun on a goddamn Sunday morning.

 

Baekhyun bombards Kyungsoo with a pile of problems the moment he arrives: 1) Baekhyun’s brother, Baekbeom, is currently hospitalized and has been “puking and shitting non-stop”; 2) Baekhyun’s mother has been berating him and asking him to come visit his brother in the hospital all the way in Bucheon since 9AM; 3) his car won’t start; 4) he needs to borrow Kyungsoo’s car; and 5) Baekhyun will drive and Kyungsoo can just accompany him and Baekhyun promises to be very cautious and grateful his entire life.

It takes Kyungsoo about five minutes – or, three hundred seconds of trying to not give in too fast to Baekhyun’s stupid puppy eyes – before he decides to let Baekhyun take over his entire Sunday. He tries not to let the bone crushing hug and the lasting imprints of Baekhyun’s arms around him bother his thoughts for too long. He tries not to think about how lovely Baekhyun’s voice is when he sings along to the radio inside the car. He tries to stop himself from smiling whenever Baekhyun yawns in his stupid adorable way of yawning and stops himself from fixing his unkempt hair. Kyungsoo tries his hardest to not look at Baekhyun the whole car ride and maybe appreciate the scenery running past the window instead.

“What are we doing here?” Kyungsoo asks, wide-eyed, when the car heads over the entrance of a hotel in Bucheon. They’re supposed to be visiting Baekhyun’s sick brother at St. Mary’s Hospital in Wonmi-gu, not staying at a tourist hotel.

Baekhyun drives over to the parking lot of the hotel. “I’m about to pass out, Kyungsoo,” He answers, his voice raspy and tired. “Let me just sleep for a bit.”

Kyungsoo tries pinpointing the source of Baekhyun’s tiredness and comes up with an assumption of him working too much, even on weekends, for loads of projects. Plus, the hour-long driving from Seoul to Bucheon isn’t an easy task when they haven’t even had breakfast yet. Kyungsoo understands how drained and stressed out Baekhyun must be feeling at the moment – his weekend workload, a sick brother, and a car that won’t start may be a bit too much for him to take all at once.

Still, Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him – mildly suspicious and still searching for some sort of motive.

Baekhyun turns the engine off before raising his eyebrows at Kyungsoo in reply. “Kyungsoo.” Baekhyun’s tone is placating. His hand latches onto Kyungsoo’s wrist. “It’s either this or my room in our family house. Please bear with me.”

Kyungsoo exhales and blinks slowly. “Alright.” He nods his head, calming himself down as a surge of anxiety finds its way to his stomach.

The grin that Baekhyun gives him in return is a stark contrast to his tired eyes. “Besides, it’s still too early to meet my parents in this relationship stage.” He jokes, punctuating it with wink.

“Shut up.” Kyungsoo retracts his hand from Baekhyun’s hold, and feigns annoyance with a smile on his face.

 

They end up in a decent room with two single beds. Baekhyun immediately flops down the bed, claiming it as his own, and groans tiredly. Kyungsoo sits on the bed right next to Baekhyun’s and checks his phone. It’s a quarter to noon and there’s a reminder right under the clock on his screen which draws him back to reality. The calendar notification tells him that it’s Jongdae and Yura’s birthday. And that he has to be at Chanyeol’s later in the evening, since they’re throwing his older sister a birthday party. (Jongdae wouldn’t be there though, since he always takes a leave and disappears off to Siheung to be with his family on his birthday.)

Kyungsoo’s typing a birthday greeting for Jongdae on his phone when Baekhyun’s voice surprises him. 

“Is it okay?” Baekhyun asks.

“What is?” Kyungsoo replies without looking at him, finishing off the message and hitting send. 

“That you’re here with me.”

Kyungsoo puts down his phone on the bedside table, and looks at Baekhyun. The redhead has his face smashed against a too fluffy pillow, and his eyes are gazing softly at Kyungsoo. His eyelids seem heavy, like they’re about to drop anytime.

“Is it okay with him?” Baekhyun adds when it takes too long for Kyungsoo to reply, and the question suddenly feels heavier somehow, harder to answer. 

There’s something heavy weighing down on Kyungsoo’s chest and his throat suddenly feels too dry. He gulps before answering. “It’s okay.” He breathes out, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs. “Don’t worry.” He tells Baekhyun, and also tells himself. _Don’t worry too much about choosing Baekhyun over Chanyeol for today_ , Kyungsoo repeats inside his head.

“Are _you_ okay that you’re here with me?” Baekhyun mumbles, all too softly and too clearly at the same time. His eyes are tracing Kyungsoo’s face, making Kyungsoo turn his head away from Baekhyun’s prying gaze.

“Go to sleep,” Kyungsoo says and steals a glance at Baekhyun’s knowing smile.

 

Kyungsoo ends up passing out on his bed too. He wakes up to a gust of warm air tickling his ear and to Baekhyun’s face hovering way too close. If he suffers from a sudden heart attack, Baekhyun’s liable. 

“You’re awake.” Baekhyun smiles at him, eyes crinkling into crescents. 

Kyungsoo’s brows are furrowed together and there’s a scowl on his lips. “Were you blowing in my ear?” His voice is rough, so he clears his throat and shifts away from Baekhyun’s invasive presence by the side of his bed.

“You wouldn’t wake up!” Baekhyun reasons, and decides to flop down beside Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo turns away, facing the opposite direction, and tries to calm his heart down as quickly as possible. “Let’s have a very, very late lunch before we go to the hospital. I already ordered.” Baekhyun announces behind him, his breath ghosting over Kyungsoo’s nape and making Kyungsoo calculate their proximity in his head. There’s a strong smell of rubbing alcohol, faintly covering up the smell of smoke, and it makes Kyungsoo ponder about the stress in Baekhyun’s system. 

Kyungsoo just groans in reply and stretches his arm to the bedside table for his phone. It’s already a quarter past three in the afternoon, and he realizes that he probably slept more than he should have. 

There’s a knock on the hotel room door and Baekhyun springs up to get off the bed. “Food’s here!” He yells enthusiastically, scrambling over to unlock the door.

With squinting eyes and his two cautious thumbs tapping his phone, Kyungsoo manages to formulate a text to Chanyeol while Baekhyun’s busy with the delivery of their lunch.

 **to:** chanyeol ♡  
accompanied a friend today, there was an emergency. will check if i can make it to yura’s party later, love. sorry. :( do greet noona for me! (even though i texted her already)

“Honey, let’s have lunch!” Baekhyun singsongs as he arranges the takeout boxes on the tiny makeshift dining table of the room. 

“How domestic,” Kyungsoo monotonously coos while getting out of the bed. He hears his phone vibrate, ignores it, and pads over to where Baekhyun’s curving his lips into a teasing smile. 

 

They arrive at the hospital after a short drive, and they find out that Baekbeom has stomach flu – which explains the “non-stop shitting and vomiting”, lovely phrases courtesy of Baekhyun’s mother. 

“It’s called gastroenteritis,” Baekbeom states, matter-of-factly, to which Baekhyun contorts his face at. “I’m so sorry he had to drag you all the way here.” He tells Kyungsoo apologetically, his face looking like a sad puppy in some aspect. It must run in the Byun family, them and their puppy eyes.

“It’s alright, I don’t mind.” Kyungsoo tells Baekbeom, offering a small smile. From the corner of his eye, he can kind of see Baekhyun biting his nails through the curve of his lips.

Their plan is to stay for about two hours until Baekhyun’s mother drops by. _Shifting_ , Baekhyun explains with a worried smile. His eyes are somewhat apologetic, with a tinge of worry for taking up too much of Kyungsoo’s time. Kyungsoo reassures him that it’s fine with a gentle rub on his back, his fingers grazing Baekhyun’s nape before entirely retracting his hand. Baekhyun smiles at him, eyes tired but still radiating warmth.

Baekbeom isn’t really a whiny or needy patient. He chats Kyungsoo up, asking about the basics: where Kyungsoo lives, how he met Baekhyun, how frequent he visits his family in Ilsan, what his job is like, and all the normal stuff Kyungsoo’s used to answering with practiced replies. But then everything becomes a bit too hectic for Kyungsoo when Baekhyun’s mother arrives and coos over Baekhyun with too much affection. 

“You brought a lovely friend with you!” Baekhyun’s mother exclaims in a distinctive accent. Kyungsoo almost jumps from the sudden attention.

“That’s Kyungsoo.” Baekbeom informs her from his hospital bed.

“Yes, hello.” Kyungsoo bows to her, and the next thing he knows, he’s being crushed in a really tight hug. “Nice to meet you,” He mumbles as he awkwardly pats the back of Baekhyun’s mother.

“Baekhyun’s a lot of work to handle,” She whispers after the hug, and Kyungsoo’s seeing the resemblances of her face with Baekhyun’s own – the way both of their eyes form the prettiest crescents when they smile and even the shape of their grins. “Thank you.” She pats Kyungsoo’s cheek before going over to Baekbeom to fuss over him. Kyungsoo’s heart twists, and not in a bad way.

Baekhyun steps over to his side and nudges him. “So, I guess you will meet my mother after all,” He whispers with an embarrassed smile. “Sorry if we’re going too fast.” He jokes with a playful spark in his eyes. Baekhyun steps closer, leaning his weight onto Kyungsoo’s side. 

“She’s lovely.” Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun, a gentle smile forming on his lips.

“Like me?”

Kyungsoo scoffs in reply, and feels Baekhyun’s warmth against him.

 

After having dinner outside, Kyungsoo insists on driving on their way back to Seoul. 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun tells him in the passenger seat.

Kyungsoo halts the engine as the stoplight turns red. “Of course,” Kyungsoo replies. He looks at Baekhyun. There’s a stubborn tuff of hair standing on the brownish-red mop on his head. Kyungsoo breathes in, and runs his hand through Baekhyun’s hair. “Sleep. I’ll get us back safe,” He says softly.

Baekhyun’s eyes go wide and his body stills for a few seconds before he leans into the touch. “Alright.” He smiles at Kyungsoo, his eyes melting into pools of warmth.

Kyungsoo retracts his hand and smiles back at him. The light turns green and he drives, focusing on the road and trying not to look at Baekhyun too much.

 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun tells him again. They’re back in Seoul, just in front of Kyungsoo’s apartment building in Apgujeong, since Baekhyun stubbornly insisted that he can walk on his way home.

“No prob–” Kyungsoo’s reply gets stuck in his throat the moment Baekhyun pulls him in for hug. Baekhyun smells like smoke and rubbing alcohol and hot chocolate on a cold winter night – it’s too comforting, it’s something Kyungsoo could get used to quickly. “No problem,” Kyungsoo manages to reply, wrapping his arms around Baekhyun. It’s dark out, but the feeling of Baekhyun’s hold around him is like the soothing warmth of sunlight seeping into his skin during a freezing cold day. He can feel the slightly taller boy breathing in and out, and Kyungsoo hopes that Baekhyun doesn’t feel his racing heart. 

Baekhyun finally lets him go, all too soon, but he catches Kyungsoo’s hand in his. “I owe you,” He says it slowly, breathing out smoke under the city’s cold, cold blanket of air. He’s looking straight into Kyungsoo’s eyes and tangling his fingers with Kyungsoo’s own.

“Go home, Baekhyun. It’s late.” The words that fall out of Kyungsoo’s mouth is tinged with hesitancy, and it shows in the way he squeezes Baekhyun’s hand in his. A cold gust of wind blows past them, ruffling their hair and making Baekhyun’s cheeks glow a redder shade. 

“I’ll see you,” Baekhyun says in parting, and as a promise.

 

At 10:24PM, Kyungsoo arrives at his own unit. He feels his limbs give up entirely when he flops down on his couch. It’s been a long and tiring day and he just wants to sleep it all off. He finds himself exhaling a bit too loudly as he takes his phone out of his pocket.

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
waaa what happened to ur friend!! (ㄒoㄒ) ok love, please try to go here later if u still can!!

 **from:** jongdae  
THANK YOU FOR THE GREETING!!!! How’s Yura’s birthday party? Greet her for me! 

**from:** chanyeol ♡  
where r u (╯︵╰,)

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
u cant make it? (╯︵╰)

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
do text me when u get home, love! 

Kyungsoo sighs, a heavy feeling settling in his chest as he closes his eyes and throws his head back. Time flew by so fast for him, with Baekhyun’s eyes smiles, hypnotic gazes, and alarming touches pulling him off course. He was supposed to be at Gwangjin-gu for Yura’s birthday party, not all the way in Bucheon eating samgyetang for dinner with Baekhyun. Kyungsoo tries to not feel like shit – he’s part of the pitching team tomorrow, he needs to be his best, and he just really, really doesn’t need to feel like shit. 

 

» » »

 

Kyungsoo does feel like shit for a whole day, so he decides to get off work early, pack a few clothes with him, and drive to Chanyeol’s place. Even though his other half has been telling him all day that’s _it’s alright, it’s fine,_ Kyungsoo’s too bothered with the guilty feeling that’s been frequently lodging itself in his chest. 

“Sorry I missed Yura’s party,” Kyungsoo says as a greeting the moment Chanyeol opens the door. The taller guy has a mop of messy bed hair on his head, scratching his eye with one hand. Kyungsoo exhales, his heart aching at the adorable sight in front of him. Chanyeol must have been free from work and was probably sleeping all day.

Chanyeol pulls him, tugging at the sleeve of his coat to pull him into his house. He says nothing and just hugs Kyungsoo, making the smaller boy drop his messenger bag onto the wooden floor. “Missed you,” Chanyeol mumbles, voice muffled by the fabric of Kyungsoo’s clothes.

Kyungsoo hugs him back, and tries to sway their bodies sideways in a gentle lull. “You always do.” He replies, because really, Chanyeol always misses him for some reason. Even if it’s only been around three days of being apart, Chanyeol would whine about missing Kyungsoo. It would always tug at Kyungsoo’s heart strings, making him long for Chanyeol’s presence too.

There’s an incoherent grumble from Chanyeol’s mouth that kind of sounds whiny and angry at the same time. Kyungsoo chuckles.

“Missed you, too,” Kyungsoo replies and tightens his hold around Chanyeol.

 

“Do you ever get tired of this whole set up?” Chanyeol asks, his fingers slowly stopping against the strings of his acoustic guitar. He rests his head against the bedframe and looks at Kyungsoo beside him.

Kyungsoo’s almost falling asleep to the soft sound of his strumming, but the sudden question sort of wakes him up. “Why’d you ask?” His voice is rough and laced with sleepiness, and he shifts under the covers of Chanyeol’s humongous bed.

“Nothing.” Chanyeol shrugs nonchalantly. “I just really can’t imagine getting tired of you.” He’s looking straight at Kyungsoo with a gaze that makes his insides turn into mess of all things sweet and nice and pleasant.

Kyungsoo smiles at him and reaches upwards to brush a stray hair off of Chanyeol’s eye. “That’s why we’re soulmates, Chanyeol,” He replies softly, the gentleness of his own voice surprising him.

Chanyeol beams at him and quickly gives a chaste kiss on Kyungsoo’s forehead. Kyungsoo falls asleep to the soft strumming of a guitar.

 

Kyungsoo dreams of running – just mindlessly running somewhere he doesn’t even know – and finds himself jolting awake as he dreams of suddenly falling into an unexpected pit. His eyes are fully open and adjusting to the darkness. There’s the sound of the shower running, of Chanyeol taking a bath, and the mechanic hum of the heater. 

He grabs his phone by his pillow, squints at sudden brightness, and checks the time. It’s 12:03AM, and he has three missed calls from Byun Baekhyun.


	3. Chapter 3

The very first time Baekhyun ordered coffee for Kyungsoo, he added caramel to the usual iced Americano which ticked Kyungsoo off. The second time, it was a shot of vanilla syrup and Kyungsoo had to deny that he actually kind of liked the hint of subtle sweetness. Baekhyun actually knew, even if he profusely denied how his drink was actually good.

Today, Baekhyun orders the regular, plain iced Americano for Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo kind of misses the sweetness of the syrups that Baekhyun’s so keen on adding. Across the table, an all too sugary drink with too much add-ons makes Kyungsoo gulp. He wonders how much of an intense sweet tooth Baekhyun has.

“I feel like you stalk me via GPS so you could always get free coffee from me,” Baekhyun blabbers on, his trademark grin plastered on his face.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow at him. “Is it really me who’s stalking you?” 

There’s a vibration on the table, and Kyungsoo flicks his eyes to his own phone. Chanyeol’s calling. 

Baekhyun tilts his chin towards the phone, urging Kyungsoo to pick it up. His fingers reach for his mouth. Baekhyun’s running his thumb over his lips as he stares at Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo exhales, and presses the phone to his ear after sliding his thumb over the screen. “Chanyeol,” He greets.

“Where are you?” Chanyeol asks him through the static. Kyungsoo’s stomach sort of drops.

“Why?” 

“Just tell me.” There’s urgency in the way Chanyeol’s talking. Kyungsoo can feel a mix of anxiety and excitement from the mood of his other half.

“The Coffee Bean, at Sinsa-dong,” Kyungsoo answers, and he catches Baekhyun raising his eyebrows at him.

“Alright, see you!”

“Wait, what?” Kyungsoo’s eyebrows are furrowed in confusion upon hearing the line get cut off. He looks at his phone to check if Chanyeol really ended the call too abruptly, and sees a new text pop up on the screen.

 **from:** chanyeol ♡  
i’ll pick u up & sweep u off ur feet ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

Kyungsoo places his phone down on the table with a sigh, and takes a sip of his iced Americano. “I have to go in a while,” He says apologetically. There’s a bitter aftertaste lingering on his tongue. 

 

Chanyeol arrives at the place after half an hour, entering the café with an obnoxious bouquet in his hand – filled with peonies and roses that replicate the warm tones of a sunset. “Kyungsoo!” Chanyeol calls his other half, a bit too loudly, making a few customers turn their heads.

Kyungsoo winces at the way Chanyeol saunters over to where they are, garnering the attention of the strangers who were minding their own business a while ago. He catches Baekhyun’s gaze from across the table, the redhead’s eyes glimmering with amusement, and he crumbles into an embarrassed puddle internally. 

“What is this?” Kyungsoo asks through his teeth, his eyes shooting daggers at his too enthusiastic other half.

“Happy fourth anniversary!” Chanyeol’s voice booms throughout the place, shooting him a grin. He pushes the bouquet towards Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo wants to strangle him on the spot, but he tries his best to remain calm and collected. “Really, you didn’t have to. This is embarrassing.” He takes the large bouquet, holding it with two hands, and sighs tiredly at Chanyeol. 

“You mean, you’re embarrassed,” Baekhyun snickers across him suddenly. “You two are the cutest.” Baekhyun comments, his eyes drifting from Kyungsoo to Chanyeol alternatively as he smiles all too sweetly. 

Chanyeol perks up, his face turning brighter than it already is, and offers a hand to Baekhyun. “You must be Baekhyun?” He says unsurely, but his friendliness doesn’t falter. 

“Nice to finally meet you, Chanyeol,” Baekhyun says with practiced ease, his smile reaching his cheeks. 

There’s an alarm ringing off inside Kyungsoo’s mind, making him stand up from his seat. He’s drowning in anxiety and so close to bolting out of the place on his own silently. Kyungsoo looks at Baekhyun with caution in his eyes, but all Baekhyun could give him is a one second glance in return. 

Kyungsoo clears his throat, and tightens his hold on the bouquet. “Well, we should go.” He looks at Baekhyun, analyzing the subtle movements that he could slip out of the professional mask he put on for meeting Chanyeol.

But Baekhyun gives nothing away. He just smiles, too rehearsed, and waves goodbye with his pretty fingers. 

Chanyeol’s walking to exit the café after giving Baekhyun another one of his toothy grins. Kyungsoo turns away and follows him, but then he stops, suddenly. Kyungsoo cranes his head to look back at Baekhyun, who’s staring straight back at him. “I’ll see you,” Kyungsoo casually tells him when Baekhyun doesn’t say the line himself. 

 

“Fuck, sorry,” Chanyeol trips over the humongous bouquet on the floor as Kyungsoo impatiently pulls him closer, the both them stumbling backwards to the bedroom. Chanyeol’s kissing Kyungsoo like he’s hungry and Kyungsoo’s kissing him back as if he’s starved. There are big hands invading every inch of Kyungsoo’s stomach, his neck, his back, leaving warm imprints into his skin and fuelling up the fire in his gut.

“Stupid bouquet,” Kyungsoo mutters under his breath, pulling his boxers down in a hurry and groaning at the trail of kisses fluttering down his neck. He only has a shirt on when Chanyeol pushes him downwards so that Kyungsoo’s sitting on the bed. 

“You don’t like it?” Chanyeol asks, nipping at his earlobe as one hand threads through Kyungsoo’s hair and the other clumsily finds Kyungsoo’s cock.

Kyungsoo pulls Chanyeol towards him, a hand on the taller boy’s nape, and muffles his own moan by swiping his tongue on Chanyeol’s lips. “I like this more.” Kyungsoo exhales when the kiss stops. Chanyeol gets on his knees to level himself with Kyungsoo who’s seating on the bed.

Chanyeol’s hand glides upwards, his thumb running over the slit to smear the precome. Kyungsoo toes curl from with the way Chanyeol’s fingers move. Chanyeol’s fingers are long and thick and they know how to make Kyungsoo squirm and heave uneven breathes onto the curve of Chanyeol’s neck. Kyungsoo remembers Baekhyun’s thin and pretty fingers for a second and wonders if they would know how to make Kyungsoo heave and groan, too. He wonders if those pretty fingers would tighten and curl themselves at all the right places and make him mutter silly things like– 

“I love you,” Kyungsoo breathes out, fingers lightly scraping against Chanyeol’s back and his eyes closing at the same time.

 

» » »

 

It’s been a weird day for Kyungsoo. He wore mismatched socks today, only noticing it by the time he sat down in his workspace – one’s black and the other one’s a really dark blue. He lost one of his pens at work. His phone’s signal has been really unreliable, the strength wavering all throughout the day. And somehow, he ended up in a coffee shop with a weird concept named Zoo Café with Jongdae. 

Three texts consecutively arrive on Kyungsoo’s phone, to which Jongdae raises a slanted eyebrow at, and Kyungsoo really shouldn’t have read them while drinking his Americano.

 **from:** baekhyun  
my phone signal’s fine tho! what a weird day for u

 **from:** baekhyun  
well, if u wanna make it weirder: sometimes i just randomly think about making out with you, preferably against a wall or smth

 **from:** baekhyun  
OK I HOPE YOUR SIGNAL’S TOO SHITTY SO THAT U WOULD NEVER RECEIVE MY LAST TEXT BC I ACCIDENTALLY PRESSED SEND but hey, it’s only the truth lmao 

Kyungsoo almost chokes, so he hides it with a few rough coughs. He should’ve just read the texts later; he should really read all of Baekhyun’s texts when he’s alone, not to be sketchy or anything, but just to be safe. His cheeks suddenly feel warm, and he tries to push away the images of him making out with Baekhyun, maybe against the wall, or something. Kyungsoo takes deep even breaths. 

Across the table, Jongdae’s looking at him weirdly, waiting for some sort of explanation.

Kyungsoo straightens his back and clears his throat. “Do you think it’d be possible for three people to be soulmates?” He asks with caution, before sipping his drink.

“What are you saying?” Jongdae’s brows are furrowed now, his eyes squinting suspiciously at Kyungsoo. “Is this about Baekhyun?”

The phone on the table vibrates, and it’s Kyungsoo’s. He sighs before turning his phone over, officially deciding to ignore all of his texts for the rest of his day. He’s been having a shitty phone reception anyway.

 

“I’m going to Japan for two weeks.”

Kyungsoo gets dragged back to reality with Chanyel’s words of departure. They’re sitting next to each other in the huge bean bag at Chanyeol’s room, with Kyungsoo fitting himself beside Chanyeol’s long limbs. Chanyeol has been outrageously thumbing the buttons of the controller as he plays a game and Kyungsoo has been so distracted with how weird his day has been (and how he’s been trying not to read Baekhyun’s replies on his phone). With his thoughts jumbling altogether, he couldn’t fully catch the things Chanyeol has been telling him.

“Japan?” Kyungsoo asks, shifting to face Chanyeol who’s staring wide-eyed at the television screen while concentrating on the game. “Wait, what?” Kyungsoo mutters, nudging his other half for a clarification.

“Japan,” Chanyeol repeats, and pauses the game. “Locus is going to Tokyo this Friday.” He places the controller on the floor and faces Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo blinks at him twice, thrice, before wrapping his arms around Chanyeol and pulling him in for an abrupt hug. Chanyeol almost loses balance, but stops his stumble with a palm on the humongous bean bag. Kyungsoo doesn’t even know what he’s doing, but he just suddenly wants to hug Chanyeol, to close the space between them, to feel the beating of his heart against his own – he’ll miss it when Chanyeol leaves.

There’s a feeling of surprise that suddenly spreads in between them, and Kyungsoo could envision Chanyeol’s wide eyes even if he can’t actually see it. He feels the shock that Chanyeol felt, which is now replaced by warm longing that makes him feel an ache in his chest.

“I’ll miss you.” Kyungsoo softly says against the shell of Chanyeol’s ear, feeling the slight shiver of the taller guy.

Chanyeol’s hand rubs soothing circles on his back, the other one combing through Kyungsoo’s hair. “I won’t be gone for long,” He promises. 

 

» » »

 

Three days after Chanyeol leaves for Japan, a thunderstorm settles into the city and blankets over the crevices of the bleak towers with its heavy downpour. Work is cancelled, and the television is buzzing with indistinct noise in Kyungsoo’s living room. Freshly showered with a towel still hanging off his shoulder, Kyungsoo stares at the harsh raindrops hammering against his glass windows. Chanyeol’s having the time of his life in Tokyo, and Kyungsoo feels this unsteady feeling of incompleteness within the depths of his being. 

He leans his weight on the window pane, and maybe if he squints through the eyeglasses perched on his nose, he could pinpoint Baekhyun’s unit building in Eonju-ro. With some sort of magnifying superpower, maybe he could see Baekhyun staring through his own window too. Maybe he could clearly see the reflected longing in Baekhyun’s eyes – but then Kyungsoo’s always had bad eyesight and a tendency for his vision to blur.

His hand is gripping his phone, and he sees his mundane question on the screen: _How’s the weather there?_ Chanyeol still hasn’t replied, so Kyungsoo mindlessly scrolls until he sees Baekhyun’s name instead. The sound of the television combined with the pelting raindrops against the window suddenly ring clearer in his head, dragging Kyungsoo back to his senses. He gulps, and exhales. He’s imagining a dent on the screen of his phone where the delete button of the keyboard is, overused from all the things he’s erased, from all the words he couldn’t tell Baekhyun.

So, this time, Kyungsoo doesn’t think about it and doesn’t even stop himself.

 **to:** baekhyun  
it’s raining so hard. and i want coffee but i don’t want to get soaked.

Kyungsoo rereads the sent message about three times, questioning his self for being so impulsive and deciphering the implied message in his own text, before he gets distracted with Baekhyun’s reply.

 **from:** baekhyun  
there’s a cafe near my place that delivers coffee!!

 **to:** baekhyun  
can you order for me? have it delivered to my place.

 **from:** baekhyun  
no i don’t want to :P

 **to:** baekhyun  
i hate you.

But Kyungsoo doesn’t really hate him, in all honesty. He should; if only it were different and the force that inevitably pulls them closer didn’t exist then he would definitely dislike Baekhyun. Baekhyun is too bright for him, and is always making Kyungsoo feel like he’s losing every time. Baekhyun likes pushing his buttons, to the point of tiring Kyungsoo out, and pulling him back to him with an all too easy smile. Kyungsoo doesn’t want to be on the losing end, especially not with Baekhyun.

 **from:** baekhyun  
lmao u dont ;)

Maybe it’s because of the way Baekhyun texts as if he doesn’t give a shit and just doesn’t care in general. Maybe it’s just all in Kyungsoo’s head, but Baekhyun always seem to win every single time.

 

The chime of the doorbell wakes Kyungsoo, making him blink twice, thrice, before lazily getting up from the couch. He puts his eyeglasses back on, squinting his eyes once as his vision loses focus. The rain is still as intense as it was a few hours ago, the television is still playing on low volume, and Kyungsoo’s mind is still puddled with sleepiness as he pads to the door.

The doorbell rings for the second time, and it bothers Kyungsoo that his visitor is too impatient. He’s expecting to open the door to Jongdae, with a few bottles of soju, or even to his next door neighbor Yixing, with a Chinese dish to share, but he sees a drenched Baekhyun carrying a cup of coffee and a soaked pizza box instead.

“What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo feels his eyes go wide. His grip on the door knob tightens. 

Baekhyun smiles, and sort of shivers, before flicking his head to get his wet bangs out of his eyes. “You said you wanted coffee,” He replies all too simply, stepping through the doorway to let himself inside. “I also bought pizza, but the box’s all wet so I don’t know if it’s still good.” He rambles on and pads to kitchen as if it’s his own house. Baekhyun places the coffee and the wet box of pizza onto the kitchen counter like everything is normal and like his clothes aren’t dripping wet. 

“Baekhyun, you’re drenched.” Kyungsoo tells him as if it isn’t obvious from the droplets on the floor. “Where’s your umbrella?” He steps closer to Baekhyun, tugging at the redhead’s wet jacket. 

“I left it at home. Can you lend me yours later?” Baekhyun replies, looking at Kyungsoo. He shrugs off his shoes by the kitchen counter, leaving them where they aren’t supposed to be left at. “Also, clothes,” He adds with a sheepish smile, his eyes crinkling through the strands of his hair sticking to his forehead.

“Sure.” Kyungsoo concedes, breathing in heavily, before combing away Baekhyun’s wet hair from his forehead. He runs his hand through damp strands, expecting the deep red color to bleed to his fingertips. Kyungsoo feels light, as if his feet are dangling mid-air instead of stepping flat onto the floor. He lets himself inch closer to Baekhyun, his hand still tangling the dyed mop on top of Baekhyun’s head. 

Baekhyun inhales sharply, and leans into the touch. He closes his eyes, his hand finding its way to the curve of Kyungsoo’s neck with much hesitation.

“You’re like a wet puppy,” Kyungsoo states, retracting his hand from Baekhyun’s hair and keeping their distance so close, so suffocating. Baekhyun’s eyes flutter open, his thumb tracing Kyungsoo’s jaw, his hand finding its way to Kyungsoo’s face. Baekhyun’s hand is colder than usual, but his touch burns Kyungsoo’s skin. 

“Really?” Baekhyun asks, and it’s the last thing he says to the space in between them before he kisses Kyungsoo, completely leaving no room for them to even breathe in. The kiss is gentle, cautious, and held back – and Kyungsoo doesn’t want any of the false pretenses; he doesn’t want Baekhyun to hold back anymore. 

So Kyungsoo pulls him closer, one hand sneaking underneath the damp cloth of Baekhyun’s jacket and the other resting on Baekhyun’s nape. Their bodies are pressing too close and Kyungsoo shivers at the cold contact of Baekhyun’s soaked clothes.

Baekhyun pulls away, breathing for air and just staring at Kyungsoo. His fingers gently remove Kyungsoo’s eyeglasses, placing them next to the pizza and coffee he just brought. His eyes are hazy, and covered by the strands of his bangs yet again. “Kyungsoo, should I change my clothes?” Baekhyun whispers, in a voice so hushed and raw that it sends a surge of electricity to Kyungsoo’s veins. 

Kyungsoo stares at him, still wide-eyed, and nods. “You should.” He replies, peeling the jacket off of Baekhyun with his own hands. Baekhyun then removes his undershirt without being told to, adding it to the messy pile on the floor. 

There’s a content smile playing on Baekhyun’s lips, his eyes flickering with a dimly lit fire. “You should, too,” He suggests, before lifting up Kyungsoo’s own shirt and letting their lips meet shortly afterwards, so that Kyungsoo wouldn’t be able to argue. “Your clothes got wet too,” Baekhyun reasons out in between kisses. “I’m sorry.” He breathes his apology into Kyungsoo ear before sucking on the space right underneath his collarbone.

Kyungsoo groans, his hand tangling itself into Baekhyun’s hair yet again and his feet stepping backwards until his bare back hits the wall by his doorway. “So, you said you wanted to make out against a wall?” Kyungsoo breathes, his quick hands unbuttoning Baekhyun’s jeans and slipping them off. There’s a chuckle by his neck, and Baekhyun shifts to look at Kyungsoo, his teeth biting his lower lip. 

“You just make my dreams come true, don’t you?” His lips are brushing against Kyungsoo’s as he speaks, his hand cradling the side of Kyungsoo’s face.

Kyungsoo scoffs out a laugh, and pulls Baekhyun back towards him to slide his tongue inside his mouth. He has one knee in between Baekhyun’s legs, and he can feel Baekhyun grinding against his crotch, craving for friction. Kyungsoo doesn’t want him to win, but he does surrender to Baekhyun’s prying hands on the waistband of his shorts.

Kyungsoo feels the texture of the wall against his back, hears the faint broadcast of the television in his living room and the raindrops still crashing angrily against the window. _How’s the weather there?_ He remembers asking Chanyeol, his other half, only a few moments ago. But then Baekhyun dismisses all of it, distracts Kyungsoo with his heaving breath and his lips travelling down Kyungsoo’s neck as he rolls his hips. Kyungsoo thought Baekhyun only wanted to make out against the wall, but then maybe he’s changed his mind. Kyungsoo doesn’t mind, he doesn’t care when Baekhyun pulls his boxer briefs down and he slips out of his own in complete urgency. 

Kyungsoo doesn’t mind one bit when he starts to lead Baekhyun to his bedroom, he doesn’t mind when Baekhyun chuckles into his lips when they bump into pieces of furniture along the way, and he surely doesn’t mind when Baekhyun’s moaning Kyungsoo’s name in his raw, velvety voice shooting shivers straight into his spine every single time. 

Kyungsoo doesn’t try to go against the current; he doesn’t try to paddle through the waves and breathe for air, all because he’s exhausted of always doing so. He lets himself drown, and he drags Baekhyun underneath with him. And it’s paradoxical with the way they can finally breathe better as they go deeper, as Baekhyun makes Kyungsoo’s toes curl and as Kyungsoo makes Baekhyun breathe out his name like a mantra – all the while not knowing which one of them is dragging them further down. 

 

» » »

 

It wasn’t even a one-time thing. Sometimes, Kyungsoo would end up in Baekhyun’s bedroom, panting and clawing against the headboard of his bed. Sometimes, Baekhyun would kiss him senseless against the kitchen counter in Kyungsoo’s place. Sometimes Kyungsoo would twist his fingers inside Baekhyun just to see him squirm on the sofa. 

Sometimes, Kyungsoo says the stupidest things while Baekhyun’s sitting on his lap and leaving kisses on Kyungsoo’s neck. “It’s his birthday in a week,” Kyungsoo whispers, his voice too loud inside Baekhyun’s car. 

Baekhyun stops, freezes for a moment, and drags his lips upwards to Kyungsoo’s ears. “Greet him for me,” He whispers, and slips a hand inside Kyungsoo’s unbuttoned pants. 

Kyungsoo tries not to think about Chanyeol, who has no idea, who’s stupidly supportive of Kyungsoo ‘making new friends’, who he comes home to every now and then. Kyungsoo tries to ignore the shitty feeling lodging itself inside his chest and the guilt that’s swarming in his stomach whenever he would groan out Baekhyun’s name.

 

» » »

 

Kyungsoo comes home to his apartment littered with lit scented candles and fragrant flower petals. He heaves a tired sigh when he sees the weird smile on Chanyeol’s face. Kyungsoo’s heart skips a beat from the sudden hug from his other half, sensing longing and contentment from his soulmate at the same time. The tiredness wears off of Kyungsoo’s body by a bit, and a small smile finds its way to his lips. Though he can’t help but think about the cleaning he has to do with all the petals scattered on the floor. 

“What did you break this time?” Kyungsoo asks during their romantic, candle-lit, home cooked dinner that Chanyeol has cooked himself. Before seating himself, Kyungsoo has surveyed the whole place and couldn’t find anything broken or lost or spilled. So now he’s wondering what his other half did because the last time Chanyeol set up a fancy, elaborate dinner he’d accidentally broken the showerhead in Kyungsoo’s bathroom. 

“Let’s get engaged.” Chanyeol says, looking straight at him from across the table.

Silence falls in between them, and only the ticking of the clock in the living room could be heard. Kyungsoo coughs violently for a few seconds, his food getting stuck in his throat in a very wrong way when he inhaled. “Excuse me,” Kyungsoo says, grabbing the napkin by his glass of wine to pat his lips.

Chanyeol heaves in a breath, and Kyungsoo prepares for the word vomit out of Chanyeol’s mouth. “I know this is sudden,” he starts, leaning towards Kyungsoo across the table. “But we’ve been together for, what, four years?” He explains eagerly, wide eyes trying to convince Kyungsoo with their glimmer of hope. But all Kyungsoo wants right now is a moment of silence, a few minutes, maybe even hours, to let him think this through. 

“And we’re _soulmates_ anyway.” Chanyeol states, and the fact sends Kyungsoo’s stomach hurling into panic and anxiety, even confusion. 

“Excuse me, sorry.” Kyungsoo stands up so suddenly his chair scrapes loudly against the floor. The anxiety is streaming so quickly in his blood, and it takes up almost all of him, making his stomach lurch with panic. “I’m–”

“Kyungsoo.” Chanyeol mimics him by standing up too. Chanyeol looks like he wants to go to Kyungsoo, to hold him in place, but there’s hesitancy with the way he grips onto his chair.

“I’m confused,” Kyungsoo offers as an explanation. “And not ready. And I know these are all petty excuses, but Chanyeol,” He feels his breath hitch when the sadness permeates through him – he’s feeling Chanyeol’s disappointment and he can sense how much he has hurt him. “I’m–I have to go.” 

“Go where?” Chanyeol asks while Kyungsoo dashes over to the living room to get his coat by the couch.

Kyungsoo doesn’t give him an answer and leaves his apartment without looking back at the candle-lit dinner, the scattered flower petals, and the sadness in Chanyeol’s eyes.

 

Kyungsoo realizes that he must have looked like shit when Baekhyun instantly pulls him in for a hug the moment he opens the door to his unit. Somewhere in the midst of squinting through the snow and hazily stopping his tracks in pedestrian lanes, Kyungsoo found himself pressing the button for the fifth floor in the elevator of an apartment building in Eonju-ro. He finds himself staring at a wide-eyed Baekhyun, who’s already in his pajamas but still opened the door for him. 

They’re still not past the doorway and Kyungsoo just couldn’t bottle it up inside. He tells Baekhyun: “He proposed.” His hands clutch onto Baekhyun’s button down shirt, slightly shivering from the cold outside.

Baekhyun tightens his hold around Kyungsoo’s shoulders and exhales heavily. “What did you do?” He asks, cautiously.

“I ran to you.” 

There’s a sad chuckle right beside Kyungsoo’s ear. “Stupid,” Baekhyun whispers too gently before pulling away from Kyungsoo.

Baekhyun’s eyes are pooling with hope, and it breaks Kyungsoo’s heart even further. Maybe this is why he didn’t want to go with the current, because the tides will just drag him further to the point of no return. In the middle of the vast sea, an anchor tied to his feet – taking his breath away and just pulling him deeper until he finds the weight too overwhelming, too overpowering. 

“This isn’t me choosing you.” Kyungsoo finds enough oxygen to let the words out of his mouth, his head barely making it across the surface. 

“I know,” Baekhyun replies, pretty fingers lightly grazing Kyungsoo’s cheek, all too understanding for someone with an unexpected visitor in the middle of the night. 

 

There’s a bottle of wine half empty on the glass center table of Baekhyun’s living room and a mild red flush on Kyungsoo’s cheeks. The rug feels so soft on Kyungsoo’s butt and the edge of the couch feels so comforting on his back. The nice, thin pinky that’s barely touching Kyungsoo’s hand electrifies the edges of his fingertips, but maybe it’s just the alcohol getting to him. Kyungsoo isn’t so sure of the thoughts running through his mind anymore, though he is sort of confident that Baekhyun has been keeping his distance all night. 

Kyungsoo exhales, and leans his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder. He shifts until he can’t feel too much bone, grumbling about how Baekhyun needs to eat more. 

Baekhyun’s chuckle blows air into Kyungsoo’s hair. His right foot collides with Kyungsoo’s left, bare toes grazing the striped pattern sock.

“I hate how we’re hardwired to be with our soulmate for the rest of our lives,” Kyungsoo murmurs, blinking through his eyeglasses to regain the focus on his vision. “How you can _never_ escape that sort of instant connection upon first meeting.” He sighs heavily, before taking another gulp from his glass. “That you’ll feel empty when they’re not there.” He breathes out the last part. The tingling feeling on his fingertips are fading and he’s hoping that his head wouldn’t be so bleary anymore.

Baekhyun hums, sending vibrations to Kyungsoo’s head on his shoulder. Baekhyun smells like cigarettes and bath soap and faint rubbing alcohol all mixed together in a concoction that comforts Kyungsoo.

“Do you feel like you’re missing this sort of puzzle piece in your life right now?” Baekhyun asks one question but Kyungsoo feels like he’s asking a million others.

Kyungsoo just shrugs. The whole thing is ridiculous, Kyungsoo thinks. Society thinks it makes lives easier and brings textbook romances to life – then they completely ignore the fact that some people just aren’t destined to be with their soulmates. They completely ignore the instance of Kyungsoo gravitating towards Baekhyun. The stars have aligned for them to meet; they’re simply destined.

“You know my parents aren’t even soulmates.” He hopes his short answer would get his point across. “It’s like, I don’t even want to lose Chanyeol,” Kyungsoo continues even though a small part of his mind is telling him to just stop. “I want him to remain friendly with me, all casual and platonic. Even if I bolted out the moment he proposed and probably hurt him forever.” Kyungsoo shifts and removes his head from Baekhyun’s shoulder. 

“You know what I hate?” Baekhyun asks, shifting his position to face Kyungsoo. “I hate how we’re destined. I hate how the world is just pulling me towards you every single second.” He tilts his head to the side, looking straight at Kyungsoo. “I should’ve kept my distance but I was selfish.” He grimaces and flits his eyes to somewhere else in the room.

“You’re not.” 

“I guess I wanted you, so badly.” The way the words roll off Baekhyun’s lips sound so enticing, spreading warmth through Kyungsoo’s veins. “I could _never_ hate you, though.” He gives the most genuine smile Kyungsoo has ever seen, and something just flickers inside Kyungsoo’s mind.

Kyungsoo reaches over and places his glass down on the table. “I’m just going to disappear.” Kyungsoo’s voice rings so clear in his head. He sort of frightens himself with his abrupt certainty. 

“As long as you come back, Kyungsoo,” Baekhyun says his name so gently, and shifts a few inches away from him. “If I find my soulmate one day, I know I’d still choose you.” The anchor is no longer dragging Kyungsoo deeper, finally setting him free and giving him air to breathe. 

“How sure are you?” Kyungsoo leans closer, making up for the distance that Baekhyun created.

A smile spreads on Baekhyun’s face, reaching his sad eyes and still making them crinkle into crescents. “How can I not choose you?” His fingers trace Kyungsoo’s face gently. The feathery touch travels from Kyungsoo’s cheeks to the line of his jaw to the tip of his chin – and then Baekhyun kisses him. And it’s unlike any of the kisses they’ve had, because this time Baekhyun kisses him like he’ll never see Kyungsoo again. His lips gently capture Kyungsoo’s own, and his arms cradle Kyungsoo into a loose embrace.

Kyungsoo’s free from the anchor, yet he doesn’t swim until he reaches dry land. He finds himself staying afloat. 

 

» » »

 

“I need some time to think.” Kyungsoo’s eyes are staring at the steering wheel, trying not to look at Chanyeol in the passenger seat. He can feel the sadness permeating from his other half even if he doesn’t glance at him, and he doesn’t want to add any heaviness to his already aching chest.

“About what?”

“About us.”

There’s silence for a few heartbeats, before Chanyeol shifts in his seat and there’s the sound of fabric scratching against his jeans.

“I know that this is about Baekhyun.” Chanyeol is staring off into the distance with tired eyes. His adam’s apple bobs as he gulps.

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo apologizes, and waits for Chanyeol to look at him too. “I just need to be alone.”

“Don’t be.” Chanyeol purses his lips into a thin smile, not quite reaching his eyes. “I mean, it hurts like fuck.” He still isn’t looking at Kyungsoo, and is closing his eyes instead as he heaves a sigh. “But what can we do, right?”

“You’re not mad?”

“No, I’m just hurt.” 

“I’m sorry,” Kyungsoo repeats, and the bitter taste of his overused phrase lingers on his tongue. 

Chanyeol inhales deeply, eyes still closed. When he flutters his eyes open, he’s already taking off his seat belt, ready to get out of the car. “Just go,” He says as his farewell, and finally looks at Kyungsoo with so much hurt and sadness and pain swirling in his eyes.

In the midst of it all, Kyungsoo can feel a sense of understanding and he wants to shove the emotion back to Chanyeol, because he feels like he doesn’t deserve it. 

 

» » »

 

It takes Kyungsoo about a hundred hesitant thoughts and two hours of driving before he arrives in Ilsan. He drives through the highways without much thought, his hands too mechanical on the steering wheel. Then he’s greeted by the commercial district of his hometown, the calm suburbs, the large Buddhist temple, the line of thatched roof houses, and something tugs at the edges of his heart.

He’s home. He needs this. And it’s not like he’s running away from the responsibilities and the mess he made way back in Seoul, but he does need to find himself. Ilsan is a lot like Seoul anyway, just a bit calmer; maybe it’s what Kyungsoo needs to quiet down all the thoughts scrambling in his mind. Maybe he needs to breathe, to clear his mind, and to steady his heart. And he can’t do that in Seoul when Chanyeol could turn up at his apartment any time and every turn in Apgujeong could make him bump into Baekhyun.

He lets the speed of the car die down as he enters the hauntingly familiar street. It’s been a few years since he drove back to Ilsan, in broad daylight. The anxiety dies down in his system, and he dismisses the confusion in his mind. He parks his car right in front of their house. He really is home. 

 

» » »

 

 **from:** chanyeol  
i know you’re probably in ilsan right now and i just want you to be safe wherever you are. enjoy your time with your family!

 **from:** jongdae  
Stay safe there in Ilsan!! I already miss you!!!

 **from:** chanyeol  
good morning, kyungsoo

 **from:** chanyeol  
i do hope everything’s ok there! greet your family a merry christmas for me! ✧

 **from:** chanyeol  
i saw ur sns post, lake park is beautiful even in the winter! also, that’ll be the last time i’ll stalk u online, i promise

 **from:** chanyeol  
this might be the last time i’ll text u, since i know that you don’t rly want to talk to me anymore or smth. and it’ll probably be a lie, i’ll probably still text u, even if u don’t reply. sorry for being annoying.

 

» » »

 

After spending two weeks in Ilsan, Kyungsoo gets bothered by the certain feeling that creeps up on him from time to time. He’d felt this all the way back in Seoul – whenever he’d get dragged out of his apartment by this almost magnetic force that makes him bump into a certain redhead. There would be some sort of yearning that would burn through his chest, and the need to be somewhere would be too all consuming. His heart would beat faster than usual, his mind would be filled with a thousand expectations. 

It happens when Kyungsoo’s right outside a cosmetic shop in La Festa. He’s waiting for his mother who got dragged in by the huge red words _‘50~20% off on all products!’_ and who probably has spent more than she should already. There’s a cup of coffee in his gloved hand, his most comforting source of warmth for the meantime. (Since his mother would usually cling close to him and keep one side warm enough as they walk through the outdoor mall.) His phone vibrates. Kyungsoo doesn’t even need to guess who the text is from.

 **from:** chanyeol  
i can’t belive u replied!!! i missed u. i’m ok with staying friends with u. sorry for being so annoying tho.

 **from:** chanyeol  
tho honestly, i still have feelings for u. but like i said, i am willing to be friends. i wont be weird! (tho i cant promise anything but i promise i wont be weird!)

Kyungsoo breathes in deeply through his nose, eyes closing for a few seconds. He takes himself back to the time he drunk texted Chanyeol a really, really long and elaborate message about his feelings and how he’s selfish enough to ask him if they could still be friends. It was a break-up text. Kyungsoo felt like he was such an asshole, so he tried to open up another bottle of soju before his older brother Seungsoo snatched it away from him. 

**to:** chanyeol  
sorry for being an asshole. you’re stupid for being this understanding, still. thank you.

He hits the send button, then he takes a sip of his coffee that comes off too sweet in his mouth. It takes about two heartbeats before Kyungsoo finds himself craning his head to look at the cosmetic store right behind him. He sees someone with an all too familiar dyed red hair, and his breath hitches. There it is – the feeling of want and need, and everything in between. Something’s pulling him towards the stranger, even if all he can see is his back and the messy mop of hair with faded dye.

“Dear, come on,” The voice of his mother and her hand on his arm rattles him out of his trance, and it takes all of his willpower to look away from the stranger. He won’t wait for the redhead to face him. It wouldn’t be Baekhyun anyway, he convinces himself. He doesn’t want it to be Baekhyun.

His mother asks him if he’s okay, Kyungsoo just nods. With a heavy feeling in his chest, he drags his feet away from the cosmetic store.

» » »

 

It happens a few more times, in separate days. Kyungsoo tries to not let it get to him that much. It happens when they were on their way to Western Dom to watch a movie, Kyungsoo saw a glimpse of a redhead exiting the cinema when Seungsoo was impatiently tugging him towards the door. When he passed by the branch of Paris Baguette in La Festa, he tried not to squint too hard to see face of a certain stranger with a grey hoodie inside the bakery. When he biked at Lake Park one early morning, he might have been still too sleepy and must have been imagining someone who looks like Baekhyun taking pictures of the greenery. Kyungsoo should be letting go, breathing fresh air, and cleansing himself from the problematic mess. He doesn’t understand why the universe seems to be plotting against his journey of soul searching in his hometown. He doesn’t get why the universe would pull him towards things, or even people, that remind him of Baekhyun. 

So Kyungsoo goes out with his friends from high school, and stuffs his face with scrumptious barbecued ribs at Meat Street. He’s laughing at some stupid old inside joke with a mouth full of grilled meat near one stall, holding onto one of his friends for support. As if he’s transported back into time, he feels at ease in one of his favorite places in his hometown, at the presence of the friends he never knew he missed so much.

“Kyungsoo’s out,” One of his friends say in the background, he couldn’t process who exactly, as he leans on the wall right next to his seat. Kyungsoo knows he drank too much because he just really doesn’t want to move right now and will probably fight anyone who will remove him from his comfy position. 

He’s dizzy. There’s only one person left at their table, his other friends must be calling a cab or paying the bill or something. All Kyungsoo knows is that he’s dizzy, but he’s still aware of the old pop rock song playing in the background and how good it sounds with the way it speaks about lost love. He’s still aware of his own thoughts, of how he’s thinking of Baekhyun. He’s aware that Baekhyun’s at the table at the far end of the smoky place, a phone in his beautiful hand as he chews on meat. Or maybe it’s just the alcohol seeping its way into his mind and sending hallucinations. 

Kyungsoo just wants Baekhyun to turn around and look at him, wanting to know if he’s right all along. He wants to know if it’s really Baekhyun, even if it’s a far stretch since he has a life all the way in Seoul and would never have any business to do in Ilsan. Kyungsoo just needs him to turn a bit, to his face fully and maybe let their eyes meet, but he passes out all too quickly. 

 

» » »

 

“This will probably be the last time I’ll call you.” Chanyeol’s voice seems different through Kyungsoo’s phone, but it’s still comforting nonetheless.

Kyungsoo lets his hand graze the silk curtain as he perches himself on the windowsill of his old room. “It’s alright if you call me,” he replies, trying to grasp onto any sort of feeling in his chest. “As long as you text me first.” 

“Let me move on first,” Chanyeol says jokingly, then heaves a deep breath afterwards.

They’ve been alright for the past few days. Kyungsoo tried to burn bridges completely, but finds that he really can’t. Soulmates are meant to be by each other’s side after all – may it be literally or with a few kilometers in between them, may it be as lovers or as friends. Kyungsoo chose the latter, even though he can still sense Chanyeol’s repressed feelings for him. They’ve been together for four years after all. So it’ll take time, and Kyungsoo can try to be patient. 

“Alright. Take as much time as you want.” He replies, and it’s easy. It’s comfortable and he feels complete, it’s a feeling he’s been so used to. It feels almost mundane and mechanical, what with the only foundation of their relationship was that undeniable connection upon their first meeting. Step 1: Be soulmates. Step 2: Try to fall in love. Step 3: Stay together. 

Step 4: Realize that your soulmate isn’t your destiny and make things complicated. Kyungsoo calls Chanyeol’s name, checking if he might have missed what he said while he was indulging in his own realizations.

“Yeah, I’m here,” Chanyeol replies, and the tone in his voice is as if he’s trying to get through Kyungsoo’s walls. It was never challenging for Chanyeol, since Kyungsoo had let him in all too easily. Society was so much pressure, being soulmates was a fact that Kyungsoo totally buried himself in. But now there are walls in between them, but Kyungsoo doesn’t place himself too far from them.

“I should sleep. Good night,” Kyungsoo tells him and politely waits for a reply.

“Oh, sure. Good night. Nice talk.” 

Kyungsoo hangs up, and heaves a sigh as he stares out the line of two-storey houses across the street. There are buildings in Ilsan too, though not as tall as the ones in Seoul and not as many. Kyungsoo’s wondering if the walls he’d built around himself are as tall as the ones in Ilsan or are they towering too high up like the ones in Seoul. Yet even with all the construction going on to build more fifty storey towers, Ilsan still feels so small and so humble to Kyungsoo. It can feel urban at times, but it’s neither too imposing nor too intimidating. His hometown is a safety net, always so welcoming and so warm. Sometimes coming back home reminds him of Chanyeol.

But then Kyungsoo’s dreams are in Seoul; he’s more than willing to get lost in its alleys and to let the city shape him further into who he is. The city challenges him, pushes him further into limits he never knew he could surpass. Kyungsoo has always been chasing his goals, but then he’d pause to breathe once in a while. Ilsan lets him breathe, lets his lungs get enough air. Seoul lets him live, lets blood run through his veins and lets his heart beat the way it wants to. Kyungsoo heaves a breath, and he feels his mind clearing up as he stares at the stars which are far brighter than they have ever been. He’s kind of ready to go back. Maybe Kyungsoo’s already okay. 

 

» » »

 

A month after unpacking his luggage and restocking his fridge with the huge containers of food his mother made him carry home, Kyungsoo finds himself at a café. He just returned to his apartment at about 8 in the evening, and now his thumb is hovering over Chanyeol’s name in his phone. He knows it’s a bad decision to drink strong coffee at night but it’s even worse to call Chanyeol just because there’s about two percent of uncertainty lodging itself in his mind. The anxiety is eating him up, making him rethink all of his decisions. Maybe Kyungsoo needs validation, he needs someone to tell him that he’s made the right choice. Maybe he needs Chanyeol’s voice to tell him that choosing neither of his options is the best choice. And if Chanyeol tells him otherwise, Kyungsoo isn’t sure what he would do.

Jongdae had already supported his decision, before mentioning that Oh Sehun flew all the way to Beijing just to meet the one he’s destined for. It wasn’t totally helpful for Kyungsoo, but he knows Jongdae means well. It just made him question the universe, because it’s been months of no Baekhyun, no redhead, no magical magnetic force urging him to go somewhere. Kyungsoo’s doubting if he was really destined to be with Baekhyun – if he’s not, then Kyungsoo would be more than bothered to put a name to the strong attraction and affection he felt for him. Love has always been a silly thing for Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo presses the call button near Chanyeol’s name. He’s hoping for some sort of intervention to cancel the call – forward to voice mail, faulty signal, dead battery, sudden phone explosion, _anything_. Kyungsoo gets the loud sound of a door opening instead, and a redhead entering the café.

It’s Baekhyun, with his disheveled hair dyed brighter than ever and his eyes glinting with surprise. Kyungsoo’s looking at him, Baekhyun’s heaving his breath as he stares back.

“Hi,” Baekhyun greets him, stepping closer to Kyungsoo’s table by the door. It’s electrifying and magnetizing all at once, almost a bit too much. 

Kyungsoo couldn’t answer him immediately and feels as if a speeding car has passed by him. A feeling so intense, its impact so invisible and intangible. There isn’t any sort of contact, no casualties and car crashes; it’s simply a car speeding past. But it leaves Kyungsoo breathing into place for a while, letting the gust of wind collide against his skin. 

Kyungsoo ends the call that Chanyeol doesn’t pick up. “Hi,” Kyungsoo answers, sort of breathless.

 

“What are you doing here?” Kyungsoo asks when Baekhyun settles in the seat across his. 

“I wanted coffee.” Baekhyun leans forward, putting less space in between them as possible. His bright red hair is still messy, and his eyes are still crescents whenever he curves his lips into a smile.

Kyungsoo raises an eyebrow and slightly cocks his head sideways. “At 10PM?”

“Yes, at 10PM.” The chair noisily scrapes against the floor as Baekhyun closes in further. “And for some weird reason,” his gaze flutters downwards, looking at Kyungsoo’s hands on the table. “I found myself at your hometown a few days ago.” He confesses in a soft voice, but Kyungsoo hears it with complete clarity. 

So Kyungsoo wasn’t seeing things, then; he wasn’t imagining the presence of Baekhyun. It starts to make a lot more sense, now. Kyungsoo could visualize the stars aligning, could see how fate pulled the strings to make him realize how he really can’t be apart from Baekhyun. The universe would always magnetize them together, pulling them closer every single time. There’s no escape, and Kyungsoo’s kind of alright with it. 

“I was there a few weeks ago.” Kyungsoo tells him, gently flitting his fingers on Baekhyun’s wrist. 

“Oh.” There’s an epiphany storming in Baekhyun’s mind, it shows through his wide eyes and with the way he freezes momentarily for about two seconds. “What were you doing there?” 

Kyungsoo heaves a deep breath and waits until Baekhyun’s looking at him. “I was making a choice.”

“A choice?” Baekhyun asks, raising his eyebrows and lifting one hand up to his mouth. His pretty fingers are on his lips and his expectant gaze is on Kyungsoo.

“Yeah, you.” Kyungsoo lets the words slip out of his lips and lets his fingers tangle with Baekhyun’s, removing them from his lips. “You.” Kyungsoo repeats, the words tasting so saccharine in his mouth and sending electricity through his veins. The magnetizing feeling makes his heart beat against his rib cage, it makes him feel alive.

Baekhyun’s hold on Kyungsoo’s hand tightens, and he hides a smile behind their entwined fingers. Starry-eyed and overly giddy, Baekhyun exhales to calm himself down. “It’s funny how I’ve always chosen you too,” He says, the smile on his lips unwavering. 

Kyungsoo chuckles softly, and the electrifying feeling transform into something warm. Like alcohol coursing through Kyungsoo’s system, Baekhyun’s presence in his life sends sparks at the ends of his fingertips and numbs him for a few moments. It’s dizzying, it’s dangerous. It can throw Kyungsoo off balance. But when he lets it settle, he could feel the familiar warmth drowning his body.

Baekhyun smiles at him, laughing sheepishly, and there he goes, completely throwing off the whole alcohol comparison in Kyungsoo’s mind. Maybe he’s more like a warm cup of hot chocolate rather than bittersweet alcohol, maybe like a warm hug in the cold winter night, maybe like a city he knows so well but would still get lost in, or maybe he’s just the one meant for Kyungsoo all along. 

“What a coincidence.” Kyungsoo replies, and sees how the stars have aligned perfectly right through Baekhyun’s crescent eyes.


End file.
